Report From The Meeting

The 12th Baltic Sea Parliamentary ConferenceOULU SEPTEMBER 8-9, 2003The Baltic Sea Region –An Area of KnowledgeLeena-Kaarina Williams (Editor)CONTENTSOPENING OF THE CONFERENCE 5PAAVO LIPPONEN 5JAN-ERIK ENESTAM 7KARI NENONEN 10MIKKO LOHIKOSKI, The 3rd Baltic Sea NGO Forum 12RISTO ERVELÄ, Baltic Sea States Subregional Co-operation (BSSSC) 14SIIRI OVIIR 15SANDRA WEIDEMANN 16MIKKO LOHIKOSKI, Union of Baltic Cities (UBC) 17MARKO MÄLLY 18ALFREDO BIONDI 19OLEG SALMIN 21FIRST SESSION 23CO-OPERATION IN THE BALTIC SEA REGION 23Report on behalf of the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Standing Committee on thedevelopments since the 11th Parliamentary Conference 23OUTI OJALA 23Report on behalf of the CBSS 26KRISTIINA OJULAND 26Democracy at a Crossroads 30H.E. HELLE DEGN 30A regional approach for marine environment protection: the aspect of safershipping 34INESE VAIDERE 34Common measures to combat environmental risks of increased shipping 38HANNA MATINPURO 38BRIEF COMMENTS 41SYLVIA BRETSCHNEIDER 41ASTRID THORS 43ASMUND KRISTOFFERSEN 44VATANYAR YAGYA 45ANKE SPOORENDONK 46OLE STAVAD 46FOLKE SJÖLUND 472ELENA KALININA 48SECOND SESSION 49KNOWLEDGE SOCIETY IN THE BALTIC SEA REGION 49Knowledge Society – What does it mean? 49INGE LØNNING 49The Baltic states on the move towards a Knowledge Economy 52ALGIRDAS KUNCINAS 52Bottom-up Strategies to the Knowledge-based Society - Meeting the Future in theBaltic Sea region 56BERND HENNINGSEN 56State policy of the Russian Federation in Information and CommunicationTechnologies 61ANDREY KOROTKOV 61BRIEF COMMENTS 64DOROTHEE STAPELFELDT 64EKKEHARD KLUG 65ARJA ALHO 66THIRD SESSION 66KNOWLEDGE-BASED SOCIETY AND ITS IMPACT ON THE LABOURMARKET IN THE BALTIC SEA REGION 66Co-operation between science and industry 66MARIE EHRLING 66Labour market in the Baltic Sea region – future perspectives 69KRZYSZTOF KRYSTOWSKI 69Migration policy in Russia and its impact on the labour market 73IGOR UNASH 73Demographic situation and influence of education and competence on economicgrowth 76TOIVO ROOSIMAA 76DISCUSSION 78TRIVIMI VELLISTE 78IGOR UNASH 78OUTI OJALA 793KRYSZTOF KRYSTOWSKI 79GIEDRĖ PURVANECKIENĖ 79OLE STAVAD 79IGOR UNASH 80BRIEF COMMENTS 80CHRISTOPH ZÖPEL 80SØREN VOIE 81MANFRED RITZEK 82Adoption of the Resolution 83KENT OLSEN 83HEINZ-WERNER ARENS 84ANNEX I 84ANNEX II 884Opening of the ConferencePAAVO LIPPONENThe Baltic Sea region is one of the most dynamic areas in Europe. It has thepotential for becoming a globally significant growth region, representing a marketof approximately 100 million people. Despite of the recent slow growth in the worldeconomy the Baltic Sea region has still achieved high growth rates. It has a strongbasis for developing into a leading knowledge-based economy e.g. in informationtechnology and biotechnology. Thus, the region greatly contributes to reachingEuropean objectives of growth, competitiveness and job creation.Oulu is a leading growth centre in the Baltic Sea region, world-famous of its successin knowledge-based economy. Broad co-operation between enterprises, local andregional authorities and the university is working here – one of the secrets behindFinland's place at the top of world competitiveness ranking.The purpose of the Northern Dimension of the European Union is to stimulatesustainable economic growth and to increase welfare in Northern Europe. The mosteffective tool for realising this objective is to strengthen contacts and co-operationbetween states, enterprises and citizens. This will gradually lead to positiveinterdependence which is the best guarantee for peace and stability.The enlargement of the Union will further underline the importance of EU-Russiarelations and of the Northern Dimension. As future member states, Estonia, Latvia,Lithuania and Poland will bring an important contribution to the EU-Russia co-operation. The Union's share of Russia's foreign trade will rise to 50 percent. Amajor part of this trade takes place in the Baltic Sea region.The present EU-Russia border will become much longer. In the future, this bordershould no more be a dividing line of prosperity and well-being. We need to step upour joint efforts to promote regional cross-border co-operation and to increasepeople-to-people contacts between the enlarged EU and Russia.The Northern Dimension idea was launched and adopted as policy in 1997. Duringthe past few years it has developed into a series of concrete projects. The mosttangible results so far have been achieved in environmental protection.The construction of the south-west wastewater treatment plant in St. Petersburghas started. This is the largest single investment in improving the condition of theBaltic Sea during this decade. The establishment of the Northern DimensionEnvironmental Partnership was another breakthrough. The EBRD, the EuropeanCommission, the NIB, the EIB and several others have committed more than 120million EUR to the support fund. We hope that more countries will join thePartnership Fund and that the proposed projects are implemented as soon aspossible.Progress has been made in environmental protection, but much is still to be done.The Baltic Sea is one of the world's most polluted seas, and the situation is criticalin the Gulf of Finland. There is no single reason for this. All the countries at the5seaside are to blame for this situation. We need to pull our act together and protectthe fragile nature of the Baltic Sea.Finland held the presidency of the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS) until mid-June this year. One of the main concerns during the Finnish presidency was thesafety of maritime transport, especially because of the increasing transportation ofoil and its consequences on our sensitive marine environment. We still have to do alot with this issue.Co-operation with the civil society in the Baltic Sea region continued during ourpresidency. The NGO Forum arranged in Turku in May 2003 was a success.Concerning labour market issues, Finland hosted a special Northern DimensionForum in February 2003 in Helsinki. I have noted with satisfaction that the BalticSea Trade Union Network (BASTUN) has been invited to participate in the CBSSstructures.I hope that a dialogue between the social partners can some day take place in theframework of our regional co-operation.We have here today at this conference the honour of hearing an intervention by MsHelle Degn, CBSS Commissioner on Democratic Development. During the Finnishpresidency the Council of the Baltic Sea States took the decision on the expirationof her mandate. This was based on the development of democracy in our region.And this development, Ms. Degn, has had an important role. I would like to expressmy gratitude to you, Madam Commissioner, and welcome you to this conference.The second Northern Dimension Action Plan has been prepared under theleadership of the European Commission. The active engagement of the Commissionguarantees best that the Northern Dimension is a common policy of the wholeenlarged EU and the partner countries. The European Commission and the ItalianEU presidency will get our full support in the preparation of the second NorthernDimension Action Plan for the years 2004-2006. The new Action Plan is expected tobe adopted during this autumn. I welcome the commission's active engagement inthe implementation of the Action Plan.I hope that the co-operation between the present and the future member states ofthe EU and the Russian Federation and other partner countries functions well inpreparing the new Action Plan. In the Northern Dimension, we need to improve thefinancing facility by extending the EIB's mandate to also financing infrastructureprojects in Russia instead of focusing mainly on environmental programmes. Alsothe relocation of the EIB's current leading mandate must be balanced, so that morefunds are allocated not only to the Mediterranean and to the Balkans but also to co-operation with Russia. For trade relations in this region, Russia's membership in theWTO will be of vital importance.In general, increased and improved co-operation and co-financing between theinternational financial institutions, private investors and public programmes isnecessary for successfully implementing the Northern Dimension.Multi-sectoral cross-border co-operation across the EU's new border with Russiashould become a priority in the new Action Plan. An important remaining task is to6prepare the ground for private sector investments by removing local barriers totrade and investment and by improving border crossing.The second Northern Dimension Action Plan should be broad, horizontal andexpansive. In addition to environmental protection, energy co-operation, transportpolicy, development of the Information Society, human resources and knowledgecapital should also be among priorities in our co-operation.In the energy sector, the goal is to create an integrated energy market and anefficient environmentally sound energy system for the Baltic Sea region.One of the fundamental objectives of the Northern Dimension is the enhancementof the welfare, health and security of our citizens. The major health risks – such asHIV and tuberculosis – call for joint action by us all.The second Northern Dimension Action Plan must recognise the need to enhanceco-operation in social and health questions. The Northern Dimension Partnership inPublic Health and Social Well-being has been broadly prepared and based on aFinnish-Norwegian initiative. The partnership will be launched at a high-levelconference organised later this year in Oslo. I hope that the necessary financialresources can be allocated to this important partnership.Due to the demographic development, the future centre of gravity of the EuropeanUnion will be in Southern Europe. This is why now is the right time to furtherstrengthen our co-operation in the Baltic Sea region and the whole of NorthernEurope. We need a common analysis on both opportunities and threats that ourregion will be facing. We also need to define joint measures to cope with them.I believe that the Northern Dimension can play an important role in this process. Itcan also serve as a model for the relations the European Union is to establish withits neighbours in the Wider Europe. Continuing dialogue between parliamentarians,governments and NGOs on Baltic and Northern issues is indispensable. Today'sconference is an excellent example of our common will to enhance co-operation inNorthern Europe.JAN-ERIK ENESTAMIt is a great pleasure for me to greet this 12th Baltic Sea Parliamentary meeting andto wish you all heartily welcome to Finland. In my own work, both as a Minister ofthe Environment and as a Minister for Nordic co-operation, the Baltic Sea is afamiliar ground. In both roles I find the Baltic Sea very topical at present. There aremore challenges and greater opportunities in our co-operation with adjacentcountries than ever before.All through history, the Baltic Sea has been a connecting link. People and goodshave crossed this sea in all directions. It has provided a living for fishermen, and itprovides excellent recreation, both during calm periods and during tempests. Wehave come to respect the Baltic Sea.This Sea is surrounded by some 85 million people now experiencing calmness,stability and economic development. This state of affairs, however positive, alsohas regrettable side effects. The coastal states heavily load the sea, and as thisloading has lasted for quite some time, the sea itself requires a long time to7recuperate, even if we can curb our discharges and emissions. Additionally, otherrisks emanating from human activities today more seriously threaten the valuableand sensitive marine systems that perhaps at any previous time .The Baltic ecosystems are extremely vulnerable. This sea is almost closed; it is ashallow basin of brackish water in a cold climate. A simple comparison with theMediterranean will illustrate what I mean. The average depth of the Baltic Sea is 52metres, that of the Mediterranean is 1450 metres. The deepest point of the BalticSea lies at 451 metres, whereas the Mediterranean reaches down to 5267 metres.The Baltic Sea may in fact be more vulnerable than any other sea on the globe.The main problems now are the eutrophication caused by excessive nutrient loadsand the risks of serious accidents in the increasing oil transports. The most visiblesigns of eutrophication are the repeated algae blooms in summer as well as theslime covering shores and fishing equipment. We have too many recent examplesof oil accidents and wilful oil discharges from ships. It has been estimated that by2010, oil transports on the Gulf of Finland will double from the present 70 milliontons a year, whereas in 1987, the transports were about 15 million tons. Especiallythe shallow and narrow navigation channels and difficult winter ice conditionscontribute to the risk. A major oil accident anywhere on the Baltic Sea would be acatastrophe indeed.It is perfectly clear that we need joint efforts to quickly curb the nutrient dischargesinto the Baltic and more international co-operation to raise the technical and safetylevel of the ships used for transports on the Baltic Sea as soon as possible. We alsohave to improve oil-combating capacity, especially in Russia and the countries nowacceding the European Union.I would like to say a few words about what the Finnish government is doing toprotect the Baltic Sea environment. About a year ago, the government approved aresolution on a Baltic Sea Protection Programme. This holds important goals andalso provides resources especially to stave off eutrophication and to diminish risksfrom oil transports. The implementation of this programme and supplementaryactivities are among the government's top environmental priorities.The Baltic Sea Protection Programme has been efficiently implemented. There isadditional financing over the environment programme for agriculture to curbnutrient discharges. De-nitrification of effluent waters from communities isincreased under new permit conditions. We are also refitting a fairway maintenanceship for use in oil combating. The government's programme has an agreement forthe procurement of a new multi-purpose icebreaker with oil-combating equipmentsuitable for winter conditions. We are also financing the refitting of two smallerships. Additionally, we have supported and still support improved preparedness inRussia and Estonia for oil combating on the open Sea.Another major step towards the protection of the Baltic Sea was when, last spring,the foundation stone for the south-western sewage works in St. Petersburg was laidand the building started. This project combines resources in Russia, donorcountries, international financing institutions and the European Union. Finland issupporting the project with 10 million Euro. Similarly, as the Baltic countriesbecome members of the European Union, their sewage discharges will diminish.8I am pleased to say that international co-operation during the last few years hasbeen quite successful. In 2001, the HELCOM ministerial meeting in Copenhagenagreed that all coastal states require oil to be transported in ships with a doublehull by 2010, the target year was set by the IMO. The ministers also discussed theissue of compulsory escort tugs in the frequently shallow approaches to the Balticharbours. The European Union has approved an immediate ban on the use of singlehull transports of crude oil, and oil transports in single vessels will be phased out by2010. Finland, Estonia and Russia are jointly setting up a Vessel TrafficManagement and Information Service for the Gulf of Finland, which will be taken inuse next year. Within HELCOM, Finland, Russia, Estonia and Sweden are preparingregulations for winter navigation, which will also provide the basis for EUregulations on the matter.As the European Union expands to almost all Baltic shores we may expect thatRussia will also adopt the agreed safety levels. Better safety at Sea was stressed inthe joint declaration from the European Union – Russia summit meeting, whichacknowledged the central role of the IMO in this matter. Maritime safety on theBaltic Sea will only be improved by means of agreement on the practical steps to betaken. Here, the work is now clearly geared to influencing the IMO. We hope allparties will take a constructive view of the matter.The general public expects efficient measures for the protection of the Baltic Sea.Recent activity in Finland and on the international scene has increased optimisticanticipation. But I would like to stress that the state of the Baltic Sea, and thecurbing of oil damage risks, will only come about by continued and active work inall the coastal states. There is strong economic growth in the countries surroundingthe Baltic Sea. With continuing growth we have to have absolute reductions in boththe load and the risks. It is particularly demanding in the countries in economicgrowth, in Russia, and in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, which are about tobecome members of the European Union. For the Gulf of Finland it is veryimportant that effluent discharges from St. Petersburg continue to diminish. Thesouth-western sewage work is only a partial solution. We also have to see thatmore efficient agriculture does not lead to increased runoff of nutrients. Supportfrom the European Union is vital especially for environmental protection in Russia,and the Northern Dimension Partnership Fund in the EBRD is an instrument of greatimportance for the state of the Baltic Sea. Support over this Fund should absolutelyand unambiguously be channelled to environmental protection projects.From the perspective of Nordic co-operation, I particularly welcome the theme ofthis conference "The Baltic Sea region as an area of Knowledge". Internationalsurveys indicate that no European region is as well prepared for the KnowledgeSociety as is Northern Europe.In the Adjacent Areas Programme of the Nordic Council of Ministers, education andtraining have in fact been primary objectives ever since its inception in 1991. Thegrant schemes, which were established for children, young adults, universitygraduates and civil servants, have provided direct contacts and first-handknowledge. Over the past decade, co-operation with Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania andnorth-west Russia has expanded into several forms of scientific research. TheNordic ministers of Education and Research in July this year adopted an action planfor the period 2004-2006, which will take this co-operation further. The plan aimsat developing a common Nordic-Baltic region for education and research and9expanding project co-operation with Russian public authorities and institutions inthese fields. A consultative body with representatives from the nine states willadministrate the activities, including Nordplus Neighbour and NorFa Neighbour, themobility and grant schemes.Today's knowledge-based society builds on information and communicationtechnology. Finland and the other Nordic countries see great opportunities in evercloser co-operation with the partners around the Baltic Sea in this field. Globalcompetitiveness considerations bring into focus research and development thatespecially supports a knowledge-based economy. The rich academic traditions andhigh standards in theoretical mathematics and computational sciences which are alegacy of the former Soviet Union can play a major role when combined with theorganisational capabilities and the high ICT penetration of the Nordic countries.The Nordic Council of Ministers actively collaborates with the CBSS in thesematters. Our common aim is the implementation of the Northern Dimension ActionPlan. With this in mind the Nordic countries intend to expand the NORDUnet, whichis an ICT infrastructure providing universities with high-quality Internet capacity.The present intra-Nordic NORDUnet2 focuses on Internet applications withindistance- and lifelong learning, telemedicine, digital libraries and infraservices. Theobjective is to create a new, similar programme that will include north-west Russiaand the Baltic states.Let me summarise: The Baltic Sea is a super sea, although I have mainly dealt withthe threats to it. It is of utmost importance that the present generations, and thegenerations to come, take proper care of it.Above all, however, the Baltic Sea is surrounded by a wealth of opportunities. It isimportant to note that a balanced economy, increased social equality and welfare,and democratic development contribute to ecologically sustainable development on,in and around the Baltic Sea. Better training, more research, and the spread of theInformation Society will enable us to use knowledge properly. This should inspire usto continuous co-operation for the benefit of the Baltic Sea and those who livewithin its sphere of influence.KARI NENONENIt is a great pleasure and honour for me as a mayor to welcome all thedistinguished participants of the 12th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference to thecity of Oulu.Oulu is indeed a very good choice of venue for a conference whose theme is "TheBaltic Sea region – an area of Knowledge" as this arena, more obviously than most,has transformed itself through determined efforts, spurred on by a few strokes ofgood fortune, from a declining community of heavy industries around 1980 into amodern high-tech concentration with a firm belief in technical skills, knowledge andinternational activity that is capable of occupying a leading position globally in suchfields as wireless communication. As the international press have so flatteringlysaid, here is a town far away in the cold, dark north which is creating some of thehottest technology in the world.10The following basic facts about Oulu will serve well to describe our position as acentre of advanced technology located on the northerly shores of the Bothnian Bay:The Oulu of today is:-a growing European centre of expertise with 125,000 inhabitants and a totalpopulation of 200,000 in the city and its surrounding region combined.-the sixth largest city and fourth largest urban region in Finland, with the country'sfastest annual rate of population growth.-the economic, educational, research and service centre for Northern Finland.-the site of a multidisciplinary university of 15,000 students, founded in 1958, anda polytechnic with about 6,500 students.-the location of the internationally renowned "Oulu phenomenon" by which itevolved rapidly into a high-tech growth centre, especially in the field of wirelesscommunication, by relying on powerful, comprehensive co-operation between thepublic and private sectors, companies, training and research units.-the home of Technopolis, the oldest science park in Scandinavia, founded in 1982,which nowadays houses some 550 companies and premises that cover about188,000 square metres of floor space in 40 buildings in Oulu, Espoo and Vantaa.-a place for employment for about 80,000 people, some of whom work in the high-tech sector.-the centre of a region in which some 700 companies are located, varying in sizefrom very small-scale enterprises to the Nokia Group, with around 4000 employees.The long industrial history of the Oulu area has been based on the twin foundationsof wood processing and chemicals, industries that have themselves adapted overthe years to become modern exponents of advanced technology. Our chemicalsindustry, for instance, is at the forefront of knowledge in environmental protection,especially in the field of waste water purification, and is constantly working with theworld's leading experts in environmental technology to develop these techniquesfurther.This field of environmental technology represents one implementation of the basicphilosophy that governs all the branches of industry in Oulu that displayinternational potential, in that each is regarded as forming a cluster, the crucialelements of which are research and development, a competent staff, closenetworking, mastery over production processes, and local entrepreneurship. Othergrowth areas of this kind include information technology, content and mediatechnology, biotechnology and welfare technology. We are paying particularattention in all of these fields to the creation of the necessary critical mass and tocommercialisation of the expertise available, the aim being to launch products onglobal markets.We are currently in the process of transforming our city to comply with the conceptof the Information Society, one of the key themes of this conference. TheInformation Society can only be said to work well when the new operating modelsentailed in it are accepted by everyone as part of their daily routines. We areplanning support and training measures by which local residents can be instructedin the use of new technology in order to obtain maximum benefit from it. Again,new mobile solutions and web-based services are being developed jointly with theuniversity, the polytechnic and the business sector.11In its recently revised strategy, the City of Oulu, together with its surroundingregion, has made a clear commitment to supporting positive development trendsthroughout Northern Finland and has also assumed responsibility for developmentover the whole of the extreme north of Europe. In line with this, cross-border co-operation with adjacent areas and more extensively within the Baltic Sea regionand with other European partners is one of our key priorities.The Bothnian Arc is a good example of cross border co-operation with adjacentareas. This concept covers the whole area of the northern Gulf of Bothnia coaststretching from Kalajoki in Finland to Piteå in Sweden, with Oulu and the Swedishcity of Luleå as the main urban centres. The area has a total population of half amillion, about 60% of whom live on the Finnish side, and represent a significantproportion of the industry, expertise and jobs that exist in northern Finland andnorthern Sweden.Bothnian Arc projects were started in 1998 with support from the EU Interreg IICprogramme, starting out with three regional planning projects, focused on regionaldevelopment, communications and tourism. A co-operation network has now beenset up, the various actors have found each other and the work is able to goforward.Here, as in many other instances, it is the Baltic Sea that brings representatives ofpeople living along its shores together to discuss common themes and worktogether to discuss common themes and to work towards common goals. I wouldlike, therefore, to conclude my words of welcome by assuring you on behalf of theCity of Oulu and the Bothnian Arc that we are eager and ready to add our expertiseto any co-operation that is aimed at building up an affluent, healthy Baltic Searegion with a strong belief in knowledge, sustainable development and a goodoperating environment as one part of an expanding Europe.I hope that these two days may contribute something new and significant to inter-parliamentary co-operation between the nations at the Baltic Sea.MIKKO LOHIKOSKI, The 3rd Baltic Sea NGO ForumIn just over a decade, a remarkable process of co-operation has emerged in theBaltic Sea region, which has again become a natural and dynamic area ofinteraction. With the enlargement of the European Union just ahead of us, thisprocess is bound to accelerate and deepen.One of the unmistakable signs of this trend is a dynamic co-operation between thecivil society organisations. This became evident in the Third Baltic Sea NGO Forumheld in Turku, Finland, 8-11th of May 2003, under the patronage of Ms. TarjaHalonen, the President of Finland. It was a highlight of the Finnish Presidency of theCBSS. The main theme of the Forum was "Northern Dimension – HumanDimension? Strengthening of the Civil Society in the Baltic Sea region."With over 400 representatives of NGOs and other civil society organisations fromthe Baltic Sea co-operation and adjacent areas, the Turku Forum was the largestand the most representative of NGO Forums so far organised. They discussed inplenary sessions and thematic groups issues such as sustainable lifestyle in theBaltic Sea region, social exclusion and participation, gender equality and humanrights, co-operation between NGOs and public authorities and access to12information. Detailed reports of these proceedings are available through the ForumInternet pages.Representatives of the national focal points agreed on a joint final document, which– as decided by the final plenary session, was finalised by the Finnish organisingcommittee on the basis of comments received from the Forum participants.The Forum emphasised that the European Union enlargement process should notbuild new barriers, but lead to increased co-operation between countries of theregion. It is very important that in this process Russia is not isolated and leftoutside of the European space but is actively engaged at all levels.Strengthening of the civil society is an integral and important part of theenlargement process. Strong and independent civil society organisations are anindispensable element of the European societies, today and tomorrow. They enableparticipation of citizens, provide useful services but also function as criticalwatchdogs of public authorities when need be. Without a lively civil society,democracy cannot function properly.The Forum considered it vital to involve civil society organisations more actively inthe planning and implementation of the Northern Dimension to enhance its humandimension and to root it better with the lives of ordinary citizens, a prerequisite forstronger public support.However, they have common values. Those participating in the NGO Fora want topromote peace, security, democracy, human rights and sustainable development inthe region and beyond it, develop international co-operation to the benefit of allpeoples of the region, work for the protection of the Baltic Sea – our commonresource that unites us.Furthermore, we all want to promote the rule of law and democracy, as well associal cohesion, tolerance and pluralism and to end social exclusion in our societies.Human rights – civil and political as well as social economic – including the rights ofminorities as well as gender equality, are all vital elements of democratic society.They must be promoted, respected and protected at all levels.The Forum called for action to achieve an overall strengthening of the civil societyorganisations, and creation of favourable conditions for their functioning. Theseinclude issues such as simple registration procedures, a taxation system supportingthe non-profit character of their work and philanthropic giving, non-interference ofpublic authorities in their work, transparency of public decision-making and accessto public information.Strong civil society is a vital dimension of, and a guarantor for democracy. NGOsare not, and should not be seen, as competitors of the elected democraticstructures.Therefore, we would very much appreciate closer co-operation withparliamentarians and governments to promote processes that aim at enhancing thefunctioning of civil society organisations. The idea was discussed to have a closerlook at the operational environment of the civil society organisations in various13countries. I wonder, whether the Parliamentary Conference through its StandingCommittee could contribute to this process?The National Focal Points of participating countries decided to set up a permanentBaltic Sea NGO network for their multilateral interaction. The aim is to create anopen and transparent, clearly defined network structure, not any fixed organisation.By doing so, they follow the example of the states, sub-regions, cities,parliamentarians, business representatives and others.The Baltic Sea NGO network shall work closely with other relevant structures andorganisations. We have requested an officially approved consultative status with theCBSS, and also look forward to a close co-operation with the ParliamentaryConference and other regional structures.Estonia has recently succeeded Finland as the chairman of the CBSS. The NGOswelcome with great enthusiasm the invitation to organise the Fourth Baltic SeaNGO Forum in Estonia in 2004 and are ready to actively contribute to its success.RISTO ERVELÄ, Baltic Sea States Subregional Co-operation (BSSSC)It is my great honour and pleasure to be here today and to be able to participate inyour debates on behalf of the Baltic Sea States Subregional Co-operation – theorganisation which represents regional authorities around the Baltic Sea area. Thesubjects you have chosen for this years debates are not just of great importance forthe healthy development of the Baltic Sea region but also very timely.The situation in Europe is changing dramatically. People's life expectancy is everincreasing; and with that an ever growing feeling that all their expectations willimprove. That the general environment and the conditions of life will be enhanced,that they will be able to have an ever more active presence in public life, and youngpeople rightly expect to be active partners in those areas which have an impact ontheir current and future lives. But not only that, the modern labour market isshifting ever more rapidly towards the service and knowledge-based sectors, thereis an ever quickening pace of change in the world economy which demands greaterflexibility and adaptability from labour forces and the education sector. And ofcourse the need to devote more and more attention to the vital issue of equality ofopportunities puts new demands on all of us.All of these trends and issues need to be addressed effectively by decision-makersat all levels. The BSSSC thinks that in the Baltic Sea region these new situationsare more visible – as if through a magnifying glass. On the one hand we can boastthat here in this Baltic Sea region can be found some examples of world class bestpractice. On the other hand, the challenge of enlargement and the ever changingdemands of the global economy require an even more effective dissemination ofthese best practices, a more orchestrated approach and, of course, even morestrenuous efforts so that we do not just keep up with the changes but remainahead.As was pointed out in our resolutions from the Pärnu annual conference "within thegreater Europe of the Regions the Baltic Sea region is gaining the uniqueopportunity to become a European model region in view of its economic prosperityas well as to the incoming knowledge-based society". Using that expertise which is14already present in the Baltic Sea region, and the opportunities presented by theprocesses of transformation, we can be a front runner in the world of change.In this respect we welcome the eEurope and eEurope+ initiatives as well as therelated plans and actions within the Northern Dimension. We also insist on the factthat the role of local and regional authorities should be recognised and supported incurrent and future decisions.We are active in implementing new policies and initiatives; we initiate and promoteprojects and actions on those issues I have described. And all this is done in closecontact with those citizens whose needs and expectations we are here to respondto.Another important issue you have decided to cover here in Oulu is maritime safety.It is, to a great extent, an issue for specialists to tackle. But also of concern to usall, especially to local and regional authorities who, when faced with disasters,whether natural or man-made, are often left to deal with very dire consequences.Therefore the BSSSC is of the opinion that it is necessary to work towardsimprovements both at Sea and on land, to establish financial instruments which willoffer compensation for the damage caused by such catastrophes, as well as to taketough measures against those who caused the calamity.On behalf of the BSSSC, I wish you a successful conclusion to the debates whichwill take place here and I am sure that decisions to be made here will make theBaltic Sea region even better in the future.SIIRI OVIIRThe Baltic Sea region is gaining ever more importance politically, culturally as wellas economically. Although the sea is common for all of us, it has its differences atits every coast. For the Estonians, if you allow me to make a brief excursion intolinguistics, it is not the Ostsee, for us it is the West Sea; for our southernneighbours it is the Baltic Sea. When historically the background of the Baltic Seawas a large and busy trade route, then nowadays the Baltic Sea is becoming thefirst inland sea of Europe.On the Baltic Sea, one communicates in nine languages, nevertheless, people hereact in concord and very soon they will also share common legal standards. This isthe substructure on what Estonia together with the other states of the region, isbuilding the Northern Dimension of Europe.The essence of the Northern Dimension is the border of the European Union withRussia which is to function as a border line not as a wall.We are lucky to enjoy a privilege, one binding factor, a gift of the nature – theBaltic Sea, the medius terraneous of the Nordic countries, the axis of our life. It isby far more than just a place for catching salmon – it is a region that forms andshapes our common policy and at the same time it is the region shaped by ourcommon policy. Tons of organisations have been established for developing our co-operation. We are discussing our problems at parliamentary conferences. Theorganising of women's conferences has become a tradition. The last women'sconference took place in Tallinn, the next one will be organised in St. Petersburg.15What are women striving for? Women want to give a stronger utterance to theirvoice, they want themselves, their experiences and their needs to be heard. Andone can be sure that it is not only women that gain from it – the whole society willenjoy its benefit.Men have been leading states and making politics for centuries. Women haveentered the world of politics relatively late – in the Nordic countries in the middleand in the Baltic countries in the end of the last century. We, women have enteredpolitics because there was no way of proceeding in the old way any more. We cameto shift some essential value systems to their right places, to make the societysocially more secure and more democratic. And women will not stop halfway.In the globalising world life is offering ever new challenges. The realisation of thesechallenges is based, first of all, on co-operation and knowledge.I wish the 12th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference every success and thank youfor your attention.SANDRA WEIDEMANNOn behalf of the young people of the Baltic Sea region and as the representative ofthe Baltic Sea Secretariat for Youth Affairs I would first of all like to thank you, Mr.Speaker, for including young people and young peoples views in this conference.In particular I wish to thank the Nordic Council and the Regional Parliament ofMecklenburg-Vorpommern for inviting two youth representatives, one from Finland,Mr. Faiz Alsuhail, and one from Poland, Mr. Pawel Gradzko, to this years'conference.They both are engaged in the work of internationally active youth organisations andtherefore have acquired already a deep insight of the changes and challenges foryoung people in today's societies.We are very grateful that these youngsters here and now have the opportunity tomeet with parliamentarians from around the Baltic Sea and discuss with you theirviews on the future development of the Baltic Sea region, and in particular on thetopic of Knowledge Society.The issue of Knowledge Society and the role of the Baltic Sea region in this contextwas already discussed at last years Baltic Sea youth ministers conference in Vilniusand is of course a very important topic – especially for young people, who arelooking for jobs and who try to qualify for higher and higher demands from allsides.Before that background there are two main issues or even problems that the youngpeople of the Baltic Sea region want to bring to your attention:Firstly, in many Baltic Sea states it is still not accepted by the society when a youngperson wants to use some years, for example after school or during their studies, togo abroad to learn about other cultures, see other countries, do voluntary work –inshort orient themselves in the world in order to find out what he or she wants to do16in life. It is not supported by families, companies, schools or universities that theseyoung people want to broaden their horizons.For example, young people who want to spend a year abroad after school are askedby their relatives and neighbours whether their marks in school were not goodenough to study.The second important issue is the recognition of credits and diplomas from foreigninstitutions. For example young people who want to study a year abroad do not gettheir credits and work fully recognised at their home universities. In other facultiesyoung students can not take exams at an earlier or later date when wanting towork or do internships abroad and therefore have to study longer or can not goabroad. Students who completed their studies abroad face hurdles and large costswhen trying to get diplomas from abroad recognised and translated. For others it'snot possible to get recognition of their certificates from abroad at all and they haveto take similar classes or courses again in their home countries. And last but notleast: non-formal education measures such as intercultural learning exchanges arenot commonly recognised.As you can see there is a wide range of issues that are important for young people.Thus, they call upon you to look for solutions and take political action. Based ontheir large experiences they offer to be your competent partners in finding them.MIKKO LOHIKOSKI, Union of Baltic Cities (UBC)It is a great pleasure to address this meeting on behalf of the Union of Baltic Citiesand its over 100 member cities. We highly appreciate this invitation.The UBC is currently preparing for its General Conference to be organised inKlaipeda in five weeks time. The theme of this bi-annual conference is "The BalticWave – Business Development in the Baltic Sea region". In plenary sessions andworking groups we will discuss various aspects of economic development in ourregion and the role of the cities in promoting that and the social responsibility ofbusiness. In addition to representatives of member cities, we have invitedprominent representatives of the business community to take part in thisdiscussion.In Klaipeda, the General Conference will also hear the reports from the UBCCommissions and three networks, whose work covers most of the issues the citiesare dealing with.Co-operation between cities in the Baltic Sea region has developed strongly duringthe last years. Bilateral relations continue to be important, but around them, aviable and dynamic multilateral network has emerged. The UBC is proud of thisdevelopment.What makes such a city network effective? It is the members. In the UBC, morethan a hundred cities share information and experiences, mutual know-how, for thebenefit of all. For example, in the field of sustainable development, the UBC has sofar implemented well over ten multilateral development projects and throughtraining, helped hundreds of decision makers and experts at the local authority17level to improve their skills. This all contributes to the implementation of theNorthern Dimension.As a result, the co-operation in the field of environment and sustainabledevelopment is now entering a new phase. Over 90 per cent of the UBC cities havealready adopted their own programme for sustainable development. In the newprogramme of sustainable development for the years 2004-2009, the UBC willmove from supporting the drafting of such local development plans to supporting ofstrategic activities – that is, to implementation.The most challenging development for the UBC, as well as other organisations inour region, is the enlargement of the European Union, which will bring substantialchanges for the activities and policies of cities in all countries of the region. We seeit as our task to prepare this process from the local authority perspective.The UBC, like other Baltic Sea regional organisations, has actively participated inthe process of formulating EU's Second Northern Dimension Action Plan 2004-2006,and through the CBSS made a number of concrete proposals. We highly appreciatethis mechanism of co-ordinated consultation.Having said that, on e has to note that the second NDAP paper in its present form,still includes a number of aspects which are not beneficial for co-operation in theBaltic Sea region. For example, the rules and concepts of the EU cross-border co-operation are not adopted to the conditions of the Baltic Sea region, resulting inthat only about 2% of the available EU funding ends up in our region. Anotherissue, which the UBC has actively discussed, is the issue of EU transportationpolicy, which should recognise sea connections, and not only roads, rails and airconnections as important transportation links.The UBC also considers, that the 2nd NDAP should be strengthened by emphasisingthe role of local authorities and the co-operation between civil societyorganisations.To end, I would like to invite you all to the forthcoming UBC General Conference inKlaipeda.MARKO MÄLLYI would like to thank you for this opportunity to bring our greetings from the BalticSea Commission of the Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions (BSC-CPMR) asan observer to the 12th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference. I would also like tobring the best greeting from our President Anders Gustav.The CPMR was established in 1973 in St. Malo and we are celebrating our 30thanniversary there this week. The CPMR unites 150 regions from all over Europe.Our organisation fosters the development of co-operation between Europeanregions as well as with regions from non-EU countries. CPMR promotes the model ofsustainable development and the maritime dimension of Europe through a numberof EU sectoral policies including structural funds, transport, agriculture,environment and maritime related activities like fisheries, integrated coastal zonemanagement and maritime safety. The goal the CPMR member regions have setthemselves is promoting together a more balanced development of the EU by18highlighting the value of all its geographical areas with a view to strengthening itseconomic, social and territorial cohesion. They are pursuing this objective in severalways:By studying together with the EU, national and regional institutions can learn howto implement a Europe-wide polycentric development model.By ensuring that EU policies with a high territorial impact include this dimension inthe best possible way.By developing inter-regional co-operation within large European geographicalentities such as the Baltic Sea, the North Sea, the Atlantic, the Mediterranean, theBlack Sea, the Balkans, Islands in and also outside of Europe.The CPMR Baltic Sea Commission was created in 1996 in Kotka and now the BSCsecretariat is located and works from the Lahti region in Finland. The BSC includesthirty regions from nine Baltic Sea states. The aim of the BSC is to put together theregions with similar geographical conditions and represents them before thenational governments and the EU.The BSC bases its strategy on the fundamental ideas of the CPMR "Towards aBalanced Europe" from the peripheries to large, integrated maritime units, in viewof achieving a polycentric Europe. The integration process in Europe and theglobalisation as well as the regional policy which is still inadequate from theperipheral point of view, have obvious consequences in the peripheral and maritimeBaltic Sea area.The priority tasks for the BSC are the achievement of cohesion and commoneconomic area around the Baltic Sea, responsible environment activities,preservation of the cultural heritage and encouraging people to use their humanresources of the Baltic Sea region.The EU Northern Dimension Policy is the area where the BSC will be involved moreactively and comprehensively, especially when it comes to the cross-border co-operation at the new external borders of the European Union. At the moment thereare two active working groups in the BSC, one for the cross-border co-operationand one for transport dealing also with the issue of the EU Northern DimensionPolicy.Founded by the regions to represent them, the CPMR Baltic Sea Commission aimsto be a credible and constructive partner to national governments, parliaments andthe EU in the common efforts to develop the Baltic Sea area through theinterregional co-operation of the Baltic Sea regions. The observer status of the BSCat the BSPC gives the BSC the possibility to implement this task and to complementthe inter-parliamentary co-operation of the Baltic Sea states through the inter-regional co-operation of the Baltic Sea regions.ALFREDO BIONDIThank you to the Baltic Sea Parliamentary conference on behalf of theparliamentary dimension of the Adriatic-Ionian Initiative and also of course onbehalf of the Italian parliament where I have the honour of being a deputy speaker.19I wish to first of all thank our host, the speaker of the Finnish parliament PaavoLipponen for inviting us to attend your deliberations and of course also for the verynice evening last night. In the last few years the relationships between our twoparliamentary dimensions have become progressively more intensive, this is notfortuitous since the Adriatic and the Baltic Sea are joined by ancient historical linkssuch as the amber route which since Neolithic times has connected the coasts ofboth seas, as conveyed, in both directions exchanging people and ideas and hasthereby contributed one of the corner stones on which the common identity of ourcontinent is based upon.Today the process of European unification is heading towards new and crucialchallenges after achieving one very important result which is the extension ofEurope to 25 members, the final aim being a re-unified Europe without walls,without boundaries to strengthen its common cultural heritage and the full sharingof democratic values. In this context you can clearly identify the challenges and thetasks that lie ahead but also the potential that can be elicited by our synergy.The economic and social context of the coastal states of the Baltic Sea and theAdriatic-Ionian basin are very different but they also have a number of similaritiesand similar problems, suffice you to think of themes related to the transitioneconomies. These countries are united by strong historical and geographic links butsometimes they are very different from the point of view of social, cultural,religious lives and this is why I think it is very useful to carry out an in depthcomparison of our experiences.The experiences we have made so far have demonstrated that the Adriatic-Ionianco-operation has enormous potential. In the first phase of the life of this initiativewe had to face up to a real emergency, I refer to the problem of illegal trafficking,particularly the trafficking in human beings. The results achieved have beenconsiderable insofar as that the illegal trafficking to the southern shore haspractically ceased. So this has encouraged us to deepen co-operation betweenmember countries and we step up the efforts to develop the pan-Europeantransport lanes number 5 and 8. It also encourages us to start new initiatives, suchas a co-operation in the areas of infrastructure promotion and of ofentrepreneurship and culture.Let me just mention one initiative which is very important in the context of theoverall strategies of the initiative also because it is related to the university andthereby to the second session of the conference. I would like to refer to thecreation of a virtual Adriatic University (Uniadrion) which will be a crucial tool topromote integration between universities of the coastal countries, culture andscience are on the one hand a very strong factor of cohesion and also they are thebest possible investment to guarantee high levels of economic and socialdevelopment of this region. In view of the important results achieved in this field inthe Baltic Sea region I consider that the in depth discussion which will take place onthe knowledge-based society is going to be very interesting, because knowledge isan added value in the development of the potentials of our countries.In May, the 3rd meeting of the speakers of the seven member countries with thepresence among others of Mr. Kent Olson, member of the Standing Committee ofthe BSPC, took place, and the future lines of the parliamentary dimension of the20AII have been outlined. It is not fortunate that in the final document the BSPC wasnot specifically mentioned and also not the economic co-operation with the BlackSea. These countries are well aware that what happens in the triangle between theBaltic Sea, the Adriatic Sea and the Black Sea will be crucial to prevent newdividing lines in Europe. So that Europe can play the role of a global player.There the role of parliaments will be decisive because parliaments are the directexpression of people's sovereignties and may I say that the so called parliamentarydemocracy has often been considered as parallel and not converging with thediplomacies of governments. It nevertheless plays a role because it connectspeople to institutions so that people and institutions are a reality and not a formalreality but a concrete reality. Therefore we have to have a closer and closerintegration between the various forms of co-operation, between the representativeassemblies that work on our continent. Thank you very much for inviting me, thankyou for allowing me to listen to what I have heard so far and I wish you a goodconference.OLEG SALMINOn behalf of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Co-operation, Iwould like to express thanks to the BSPC for the kind invitation to take part in thisimportant forum. I would also like to sincerely thank the Finnish Parliament and allour Finnish friends for their warm hospitality and excellent organisation of thisevent.In today's interdependent world, regionalism is seen as an agent of integration aswell as a lever for economic transformation. Regional partnership contributes topolitical stability as it is one of the most effective confidence-building measures. Itcan be a vehicle of concerted action to take measures against the contemporaryscourges like organised crime, terrorism, and illicit drug and arms trafficking, whichthreaten regional security and stability.In the early 1990s, several sub-regional groups of diverse character and role wereinitiated, from the Baltic to the Black Sea. The Black Sea Economic Co-operation(BSEC), established in June 1992, is a living example of this new trend. As an idea,which had found its right timing and venue, the BSEC completed its institutionalstructure within a very short period of time, and became a full-fledged regionaleconomic organisation in May 1999.Established ten years ago as the parliamentary dimension of the BSEC, the PABSEChas revealed itself as a unique political forum of inter-parliamentary dialogue in theBlack Sea area. Composed of 70 parliamentarians from eleven BSEC memberstates, PABSEC has played an irreplaceable role in mobilising the efforts of thenational parliaments, aimed at promoting the values of pluralistic democracy, therule of law and market economy. Our main objective is to support the actions of thenational parliaments aimed at enacting legislation needed for the implementation ofthe projects undertaken by the organisation of the BSEC, and to provide a legalframework for the successful development of multilateral economic, political andcultural co-operation in the region.Multilateral economic co-operation was placed on top of the Assembly's agenda.The PABSEC has constantly addressed the main aspects of the regional economic21co-operation and put forward relevant recommendations aimed at achieving ahigher degree of integration of the BSEC region into the European and worldeconomy. The Assembly has been promoting policy, along with institutional andregulatory reforms, towards a sustainable model of economic development in orderto improve the living standards and meet the challenges of the new century.Continuing to focus on priority economic topics, the Assembly has also embracedthe issues of democracy and the rule of law. The idea of the "new partnershipbetween the Black Sea countries inspired by the values of democracy, the rule oflaw and respect of human rights" enshrined in the Bosporus Statement, adopted bythe BSEC Summit in June 1992, guides the whole BSEC process consistentlysupported by the Parliamentary Assembly.During its ten-year activity, the Assembly also adopted recommendations onprotection of the Black Sea environment, combating organised crime and terrorism,forging cultural and educational co-operation and setting social guarantees duringthe transition period.The PABSEC initiatives on co-operation between the capitals the public broadcastersand the constitutional courts of the member countries, as well as the organisationof the Children and Youth Festival of the BSEC member-states, have also led tostrengthening co-operation at the level of civil society and increasing people'sawareness of a Black Sea identity.The Assembly has also dealt and – in fact it is intensely involved at present – with aproject directly related to the theme of this conference. This spring we establisheda special sub-committee on Information Technology. At our last General Assemblyin Moldova last June, we adopted a Report on the Black Sea Knowledge-BasedInformation Society and a recommendation on Black Sea Information Alliance.These documents envisage enhanced co-operation among the PABSEC membercountries in the field of information technology and creation of a commoninformation space. I think that our two parliamentary forums could exchange ideason this subject as well as on many other issues of regional and Europeansignificance.This year in February, PABSEC celebrated its 10th anniversary. PABSEC presentsitself today as a dynamic democratic forum for dialogue and co-operation at inter-parliamentary level, as well as an important channel of mutual interaction amongthe national parliaments within the PABSEC framework and paves the way towardsrapprochement of the countries and gradually creates a climate of co-operation,trust and stability in the region.Before concluding, I would like to wish utmost success to this conference andexpress hope that the relations between our two parliamentary structures willcontinue as part of our common commitment to build a new wider Europe.22FIRST SESSIONCo-operation in the Baltic Sea regionReport on behalf of the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Standing Committee onthe developments since the 11th Parliamentary ConferenceOUTI OJALAIt is a great honour for me to address this gathering on behalf of the StandingCommittee. It is a good tradition to give a report from the preparatory body. Lastyear in St. Petersburg, we did a lot of work regarding the resolution. The work inSt. Petersburg was rewarded when the then Russian member of the StandingCommittee, Mr. Tulaev, thanked the conference and its resolution for being a partof the solution of the problem of Kaliningrad visa and transit arrangements.One of the two main tasks of the Standing Committee is to follow-up the finaldocument from the annual conference. The other one is to prepare the nextconference. The mandate of the Standing Committee has proved to be efficient butat the same time narrow and I think it is time for us to consider development of therole of the Standing Committee in a broader direction. I do come to this later on. Ihave been happy to be a part of an excellent working team. The St. PetersburgConference decided to amend the rules in order to have two more members in theStanding Committee. This was a good and constructive solution, the committeewith seven members is still small enough to be flexible but at the same time themembership mirrors the geography in a balanced way. Since the conference in2002 the Standing Committee has met four times: in 2002 in Bytow, Poland; and in2003 all meetings have been convened in Finland, in Helsinki, Turku and Oulu.Throughout the last year the Committee elaborated the programme and concept ofthe present conference and drafted the proposed text of the resolution.The current presidency as well as the whole Standing Committee have focused onthe implementation of the resolution passed by the representatives of the BalticSea Parliamentary Conference in St. Petersburg. The Standing Committee hasconcentrated on concrete political activities, such as the Northern Dimension issues,trans-border co-operation and maritime security and safety.Concrete steps have been taken during the last year. One of the most importantduties was our engagement to the work on the Northern Dimension. Theparliamentary conference was invited to participate at the preparatory work of theCBSS concerning the 2nd Action Plan of the Northern Dimension. This was a newopening and a good possibility to influence the decision-making process in theCBSS as the lead organisation. Nevertheless, I must admit that our parliamentaryinput could have been a stronger one. The problem is that the Standing Committeehas not mandate from the parliamentarians to act as a steering political body.Consequently, the Standing Committee can not take a position in a single issue ifthis issue is not mentioned in the resolutions. The role of the CBSS has proved tobe important in the context of political level networking in the region. The CBSS hasassumed a prominent role in this work and contributed to the work of the EU. TheNorthern Dimension has the overriding objective to strengthen democracy, stability,security, prosperity and sustainable development in Northern Europe. The BSPC hasalso announced its strong support for the work the CBSS has done concerning thenew Action Plan for the Northern Dimension. The Standing Committee also had the23possibility to attend the CBSS Ministerial meeting in June 2003 in Pori, Finland. InFebruary 2003 the Standing Committee met the chairman of the CBSS, the FinnishForeign Minister Erkki Tuomioja.Since our conference in Malmö in 2000, the topic of maritime safety has been asubstantial component of the resolutions of 2001 and 2002. The results of aworking group that had been appointed for the first time had finally also entailed tothe fact that an observer status was granted to the conferences of the HelsinkiCommission. This observer status was administrated on behalf of the StandingCommittee by representatives of the Nordic Council as well as the State Parliamentof Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.The environmental issues have already from the beginning on been high on theagenda of the BSPC. Another key sector for the Baltic Sea region in the NorthernDimension is transport. The question of maritime safety unites these two matters ofinterest and concern.Last autumn there was a severe oil catastrophe on the Spanish coast line when thegiant oil tanker with the challenging name Prestige disappeared below the Atlanticwaves leaving Spain and Portugal braced for a major ecological disaster. The ship –actually a rust-bucket tanker, Liberian-owned, registered on the Bahamas, operatedby a Greek company and chartered by a Swiss-based subsidiary of a Russianindustrial conglomerate – had been classed as seaworthy by an American shippingauthority. The ship had started its last journey from one of the big Baltic Seaharbours in Latvia, Ventspils. Thus, this accident and disaster could have happenedin the shallow Baltic Sea. This catastrophe in Spain is a sad reminder for us aboutthe importance of the work with maritime safety. The Standing Committee had onlya couple of days later its meeting in Poland. As we had discussed this maritimesafety issue at the St. Petersburg conference and had a resolution, there was apossibility to act. Letters were sent to both the CBSS and the HELCOM.Besides all the other projects that the BSPC's Standing Committee deals with, Iwould like to take the opportunity to remind you of the Baltic Sea Fund.The BSPC's most recent resolutions expressed the wish that small, practicable stepsbe taken at first with the aim of ultimately setting up a Baltic Sea Youth Fund in themedium or long term. Since then, the BSPC has been giving financial support to theBaltic Sea Youth Forum.I am appealing to all participants of the BSPC to support the Baltic Sea Youth Fundand the raising of donations.Regional processes are important. One that matters very much from ourperspective is the EU enlargement. It relates not just to the economy but to thewhole society. I am convinced that the EU enlargement will promote this region,The European Union's Northern Dimension provides an additional framework for ourregional co-operation. Also Russia comes closer to the EU through various co-operative structures.Developing Baltic Sea co-operation in the field of civil security is vital. Organisedand cross-border crime, a growing drug problem, trafficking of women and children,smuggling of persons, and a brutalised violence are emerging and worrying24manifestations on the crime scene. Powerful measures against cross-border crime,trafficking, drug dealing and racism are urgently needed, just like measures toovercome cultural and social disparities and facilitate integration between variousgroups of society. It is fundamentally important that the measures carried out arein full compliance with basic freedoms and rights. We heard the greetings from theNGO Forum held in Turku in May 2003. We have reasons to be quite satisfied withthe development of the activities of the NGOs of our region. The Forum was anencouraging and promising event and an important and concrete step in directionto create a more organised and structured co-operation also among citizens andbetween NGOs. The organisation and working conditions for the NGO sector is apart of basic freedom and rights.The social and economic differences among the Baltic Sea states remainsubstantial. The marine environment of the Baltic Sea is precarious. Major changesare to come. Within eight months the Baltic Sea will become inner waters of theUnion and Russia. The opportunities of the moment are self-evident. There are nopolitical crises around the Baltic Sea. The economic growth in this region is amongthe highest in the world. The network of co-operation is rapidly growing at alllevels.The Baltic Sea co-operation is coming of age. Since 1991 it has been obvious thatthe regional parliamentary perspective is a strong factor in the development. The11th conference last year in St. Petersburg and the interest and broad participationat this 12th conference are an evidence that the parliamentary democracy has beenestablished and deeply founded in the region. There are many reasons why theparliamentary involvement in the region is so active. Co-operation enhancessecurity. We wish to build a region of mutual understanding.I come back to the CBSS which is our main counterpart. I already noted withsatisfaction the good co-operation between the CBSS and the parliamentaryconference BSPC which in my opinion stand at a cross-road right now. The EU-enlargement and its impacts on our region and the increasing role of the CBSSconcerning the development of the Northern Dimension make it necessary todiscuss the role of the BSPC and how to organise our parliamentary co-operation inthe future. The parliamentarians wish to strengthen and develop the structures andorganisation of our co-operation in the direction of a parliamentary dimension ofthe CBSS: Now the BSPC has a status as one of the regional organisations co-operating with the CBSS and this gives a very good possibility to follow the work ofthe CBSS in which openness and ability to contacts as crucial principles areappreciated by the parliamentarians. I can inform you that the organisation I amrepresenting here and in the Standing Committee, the Nordic Council and itsPresidium, has already approved and supported the idea of developing ourparliamentary co-operation. We support a more structured and specificparliamentary dimension to governmental co-operation.Today we can look at the development of the Baltic Sea region as a success story.Further strengthening of the co-operation contributes to continuation of the successand leads to development of the region with even more active civic participationand strong democratic institutions.25The Baltic Sea region deserves our commitment. An extensive network ofparliamentary contacts is a solid base. By being active and involved the BSPC ismaking its contribution for the future of the region.I hope that you enjoy the debates and I am looking forward to a constructive andstrong parliamentary input in the common work.Report on behalf of the CBSSKRISTIINA OJULANDIn the name of the Estonian Presidency of the Council of the Baltic Sea States(CBSS), I would like to thank you for your invitation to address this importantgathering.I wish to begin in a positive key and bring to your attention a new development inregional co-operation: Last month, a festival uniting musicians andenvironmentalists of the Baltic Sea region was held in Stockholm, where world-famous soloists, choirs, and orchestras performed for appreciative audiences. High-level experts and politicians debated the challenges of preserving the Baltic Seamarine environment. What does this have to do with the broader political agenda ofthe Council of the Baltic Sea States? I can assure you, a great deal.The festival demonstrated that people from different sectors of society are ready towork together to protect the fragile Baltic Sea. Musicians took time out from theirbusy schedules and accepted much less than their usual fee to support theenvironmental cause. What struck me, when reading the festival programme, werethe strong convictions that these musicians expressed. We, as professionalpoliticians, can only be impressed when eminent performers speak from theirhearts on environmental issues and about the need for more vibrant cultural co-operation when it comes to dealing with the Baltic Sea. I am sure that you,parliamentarians from the region, feel as inspired as I do by such devotion frommusical personalities like Esa-Pekka Salonen from Finland, Valerij Gergiev fromRussia, Gideon Kremer from Latvia, Eva Dahlgren from Sweden, and Tõnu Kaljustefrom Estonia. In connection with the opening of the festival, the World Wildlife Fundheld a high-level seminar, with participants ranging from the King of Sweden, toenvironmental scientists, to representatives of prominent firms, which focused onthe launching of the new WWF action plan to save the Baltic Sea. Let us all learnfrom this festival and do our best to promote and further develop regional co-operation for a sound and sustainable environment.I believe that a strong commitment to a cause comes naturally to those directlyaffected by the issue. We cannot and should not expect others from outside theregion to take the lead in cleaning up the Baltic Sea. The activities andrecommendations of the Helsinki Commission (HELCOM) form a sound basis for thehard political decisions that need to be taken if we want to succeed in saving theBaltic Sea.Estonia is committed to having the Baltic Sea classified as Particularly Sensitive SeaArea (PSSA). In three days, the Swedish ministers for the environment and ofinfrastructure will be getting together with their colleagues from the other countriesaround the Baltic Sea to discuss the initiative. For the Baltic Sea to obtain PSSAstatus in March 2004, an application must be presented to the International26Maritime Organisation by December this year. All the Baltic Sea littoral countries,except one, have already agreed to work towards this goal. And I take thisopportunity to appeal to our Russian friends to join this noble effort.My task here today is to report to you on the work of the CBSS. Since time islimited, I will focus on a few matters, concerning which, our regional co-operation isparticularly crucial, and will remain so even after European Union enlargement. Theenvironment is one such area.I'm glad that our ministers of the environment met, for the first time in seven yearsin Luleå, Sweden on August 28-29. The eleven ministers agreed to take urgent andconcrete measures for enhancing maritime safety in the Baltic Sea. Theyemphasised that Baltic 21 should be complemented with cross-sectoral activitiesfollowing EU enlargement. The ministers declared that they would work together toinfluence the new Action Plan for the Northern Dimension, and to harmoniseenvironmental legislation between Russia and the EU.At a meeting on 29-30 September in Gothenburg, it is expected that six CBSScountries will sign the Testing Ground Agreement for the Kyoto Protocol. This willhelp us reduce greenhouse gas emissions. I hope that my own country and theother member states also sign this agreement. Estonia is now chairing the Group ofSenior Energy Officials (GSEO) of the Baltic Sea region Energy Co-operation(BASREC). During our presidency, we intend to further develop activities in thisfield, such as the Baltic Ring, which is the regional integration of electricity and gasnetworks.The highlight of the Estonian CBSS presidency will no doubt be the 5th Baltic Seastates Summit meeting of the CBSS heads of government in Tallinn on June 28-29.During our CBSS presidency, we are implementing a new model for high-levelmeetings: the prime ministers and foreign ministers would, in turn, meet everyother year. I am convinced that this arrangement would also allow us to focus moreefficiently on the full range of inter-governmental co-operation.This is the second time that Estonia is presiding the CBSS – the first time was tenyears ago in 1993-1994. Many significant changes have taken place in that decade.During our first presidency, the CBSS was mostly centred upon a political dialoguebetween diplomats. By now, the CBSS has blossomed and has become acomprehensive network covering virtually every field of governmental activity.Thus, it is only natural and logical that the prime ministers of the CBSS countrieshave taken an increasingly central role in guiding and shaping our co-operation. Itmarks the maturity of regional co-operation that the diplomats role has becomerelatively less important, and that the role of various experts and technicians hasbecome the key to ensuring that the real work at the grass roots level which affectsthe daily life of our citizens, gets done properly.I am sure you agree that ensuring the health of our citizens must be a primaryconcern. At the Baltic Sea states Summit in Kolding, Denmark, three years ago, theheads of government and the president of the European Commission decided toestablish a Task Force on Communicable Disease Control. This Task Force has some150 ongoing projects and links up with organisations including the WHO, UNAIDS,and USAID. Through direct contact with health and prison personnel in the region,the Task Force works in a down-to-earth manner to fight some of the worst27scourges: tuberculosis and HIV. The Task Force also helps to develop primaryhealth care. Even with only the modest financing of each project, such as thesending of medical supplies to hospitals in north-west Russia and the ventilation ofprisons in the Baltic Sea countries, the various local health and prison personnelinvolved are extremely pleased with the results. One reason for the Task Force'seffectiveness is that the local partner makes the decision concerning what isneeded, and is responsible for carrying out the project. The Task Force has theresponsibility of submitting proposals for concerted action to the heads ofgovernment. This way of working shows how the CBSS develops close regional tiesfor achieving tangible progress. I encourage you, to help support continued regionalco-operation in the public health field. And I pledge, that Estonia will do its best toensure, that the next Baltic Sea states' Summit will make the necessary decisionsto ensure the continuation of these essential joint endeavours.A new Northern Dimension Partnership in Public Health and Social Well-being isexpected to be established during a high-level meeting in Oslo on October 27th. ThePartnership will include many of the activities of the Task Force: communicablediseases control, training in public health, and health sector reform. It will be widerin scope and will also address life-style ailments caused by drinking, smoking,drugs and nutrition. I fully support this initiative. I am convinced that alreadyestablished networks and local knowledge, so well provided by the Task Force, willform an excellent foundation for the Partnership in Public Health and Social Well-being. Following the tradition established by the Northern Dimension EnvironmentalPartnership (NDEP) and the Northern Dimension itself, the Partnership will, I amsure, provide yet another opportunity to bring our regional co-operation into abroader European and global network.The 5th Baltic Sea Summit will also have to decide on the continued mandate of theTask Force on Organised Crime, established by the First Summit at Visby in 1996.During the past seven years, this task force has been very successful in co-ordinating efforts to combat organised crime in our region. Although the situation inthis field has improved, no one can claim that the scourge of organised crime nolonger affects the region. I am sure that the prime ministers will again make theright decisions regarding the continuation of the Task Force's endeavoursappropriate for the post-EU enlargement situation in the region.It is beyond doubt that the Task Force on Organised Crime works intensively inareas that are of top priority in the region. Its nine expert groups address issuesincluding money laundering, corruption, illegal migration, environmental crime,narcotics and trafficking of women. On this note, I would, in particular like to stressmy deep concern for children that are victims of trafficking, and I refer to my ownand the Pori communiqués strong calls for more concerted efforts in this field,during the CBSS Ministerial meeting last June.Please let me continue by speaking about the CBSS co-operation in the field of civilsecurity. I know that your parliamentarians' co-operation is giving priority to thisissue.Estonia has, for more than a decade pushed for better regional co-operation of, forinstance, maritime safety and co-ordination of search and rescue operations.Unfortunately, our ideas had not gained enough ground in time to increase theregional search and rescue capabilities before the ferry Estonia went down in 1994.Perhaps more lives could have been saved if the countries around the Baltic Sea28had, at that time, been better prepared to co-operate and carry out jointoperations.I am happy to tell you that the regional professional contacts in the field of searchand rescue are being strengthened through the CBSS EUROBALTIC programme.The programme began this year and runs through 2006. It is quite encompassing,and will improve the protection of both human life and the environment againstman-made and natural disasters. Polish and Swedish experts in the civil protectionfield have provided detailed plans in an application to the EU Interreg, TACIS andPHARE. About one million EUR have been secured so far, and the CBSS countriesare matching this amount. It is essential that EUROBALTIC systematically bringstogether the various experts in this field. They know exactly what needs to beimproved in their own countries, and they are dedicated to working together, withcolleagues in the region, on very specific matters. Just to mention a few of themany details, which need to be worked upon: creation of a joint 112 emergencycall service for the region; developing civil protection training systems; carrying outof training exercises for responding to major oil spills; exchanging of volunteer firebrigade experiences; deactivating of WWII ammunition and explosives in theKaliningrad region; and organising a workshop on cultural heritage protectionduring natural disasters.Speaking of cultural heritage, I would like to bring your attention to a feature of theBaltic Sea that embraces both culture, maritime safety and nuclear and radiationsafety. I am referring to the lighthouses along our coasts. They are beingautomated, and many are in need of renovation. Some have gained a new purposeas popular attractions for tourists. This summer, a photo exhibition of lighthousesalong the Baltic Sea coast was shown in museums, libraries and lighthouses. At itsOctober meeting, the CBSS Working Group on Nuclear and Radiation Safety willexamine the issue of dangerous radioactive materials left in some lighthouses alongthe Baltic Sea coast.The ministers of culture will meet in December in St. Petersburg. Estonia is proudto host the Secretariat of Ars Baltica, one of the oldest regional co-operationinitiatives, which was initiated by the former prime minister of Schleswig-Holstein,Björn Engholm, already in the late 1980s. It is particularly appropriate, that theministers of culture meet in St. Petersburg during its 300th anniversary. As anEstonian, I fully appreciate the historic role of St. Petersburg as one of the mainintellectual and cultural centres in the region, and look forward to its futuredevelopment.Outi Ojala already spoke about NGO co-operation in the region. Civil society isindeed an integral part of the Baltic Sea region co-operation. Estonia is lookingforward to hosting the next NGO Forum in Pärnu, following up last year's successfulForum in Turku. We should all promote a more constructive and harmonisedparticipation of citizens and non-governmental organisations in further developingour region.The ombudsman institution plays a critical role in linking civil society with thelegislative and executive branches of government. Ombudsmen's powers andlimitations were discussed at the CBSS Ombudsmen's Third Seminar that was heldin Tallinn about a week ago. The continued functioning of the ombudsman isimportant as we strengthen our democracies.29I would like to express my sincere appreciation to the CBSS Commissioner forDemocratic Development, Ms Helle Degn, for the devotion, competence andtangible results she and her office have shown. As the end of the commissioner'smandate draws near, I wish to stress that the CBSS will remain committed tosafeguarding the democratic process through its existing structures, and throughpartnerships with the relevant pan-European institutions. It is a pleasure to note,that regional networks, such as the Union of the Baltic Cities and your ownparliamentarian co-operation are helping to safeguard transparency in the publicsphere, and many other crucial principles of democracy.Although I have already spoken at length, I have barely touched the surfaceconcerning what the CBSS is doing presently, and have hardly had the a chance totrace its future potential.I can assure you that Estonia means business. With the EU enlargement scheduledto take effect at May 1st of next year, our CBSS presidency coincides with one ofthe most momentous events in our region since the fall of Communism and therestoration of the independence of the three Baltic states. Since then, however,more than a decade has passed and we are fully aware that the CBSS, which wasestablished under entirely different conditions, must undergo a process ofadaptation to a totally different, a really open and liberal Europe. This means, thatthe CBSS must also go through a process of critical self scrutiny. As a significantstep in this direction, I would like to draw your attention to the fact that an audit ofthe CBSS Secretariat will be carried out by an independent auditor by the end ofthe Estonian presidency, in order to assess the work of the Secretariat. In a way itwill also cast a light on the effectiveness of the whole CBSS.I'm looking forward to the new era, where the centre of gravity of the EU will movecloser to our region. Programs such as the Northern Dimension and NewNeighbours/Wider Europe will become more visible and get the attention in Brusselsthat they deserve.I also look forward to hearing your views as parliamentarians of the region, on whatwe, as the executive branch of government, should do to further improve ourmutual co-operation.Democracy at a CrossroadsH.E. HELLE DEGNThank you for the invitation to participate and contribute to this event, the 12thBaltic Sea Parliamentary Conference, and a special thanks to our Finnish hosts.One of the most exciting experiences of our times has been the opportunity towitness power in transition. We all have been given the unique possibility toexperience the beginning of a new era and such an opportunity is only granted toevery third generation. Therefore it has also been important for me to collect theknowledge of the changes in the Baltic Sea region, throughout the 1990'ies. Thesechanges have been of crucial importance for the European governance, in order tomake both the public and those carrying responsibility aware of these efforts aswell as to reflect upon them. Developing global and regional democratic governingis the challenge of our time.30Engagement in international co-operation has become one of the benchmarks in thedevelopment of modern societies. Importantly, however, the growing participationof states in binding international regimes has produced notable democratic deficits,due to the fact that an increasing number of decisions are taken on an internationallevel, which are immediately and directly applicable in national legislation, butwithout passing the normal national procedures and accepted national preparatorylegislative work.Facing the decline in importance of national boundaries with the free flow ofmarket, media and money - a proper balance between the different branches ofpower must also be established at the global level, and not only at the domesticlevel.The forthcoming enlargement of the European Union and the results of debateswithin the European Convention will certainly influence the political and legaldevelopment, both of the continent as a whole and of the Baltic Sea region morespecifically. In particular, the issue of the extent to which the European integrationprocess has increased, has caused tensions between the legislative and executivebranches of power. The lack of openness and transparency in the EU system causesmistrust and the executive branch is not held accountable. Let me remind you ofthe case of the Santer Commission, which was forced to step down. Fortunately,the European Parliament refused to approve the Commission's budget. However,even though the Commissioners stepped down a large number of the civil servantsare still in their offices and Mr Neil Kinnoch hasn't been able to clean up the messafterwards. The European Parliament's Budgetary Control Committee examinedagain in July this year the executive branch of EU – the EU Commission andEUROSTAT and at the end of the month the Commission President will have toexplain his position in the case in front of the European Parliament.The upcoming enlargement of the European Union will create a new challenge forthe whole region as multilevel aspects of co-operation that ignore state boundariesand that transcend the traditional territorial unit of democratic-based governancewill be enhanced. The convention debate and decision making procedures are inthis regard very important to consider – not least for the small countries andespecially for small countries which have experienced transition of power during the1990'ies.Simultaneously, however, new issues will have to be approached regarding how todevelop relations between those who will find themselves inside the EU and thosewho will remain outside. International co-operation, however, should be seen onlyas one part of the process. It is important to note that the enlargement will alsostrongly influence the domestic system of checks and balances.The effectiveness of domestic scrutiny is an important mean of co-operationbetween the parliaments and governments of the region. The tie between theexecutive and the legislative branch is, in this respect, very sensitive. This isespecially the case in terms of the parliaments' access to up-dated and all relevantinformation, the time frame granted to the parliaments for discussions, the freedomgiven to the parliaments to formulate their own positions and the extent to whichparliamentary positions have to be taken into account by the respectivegovernment. The countries of the region apply a broad range of legal solutions inthis respect.31Another issue to mention at this point is the democratic reforms, which have beenundertaken also in the Russian Federation. The current situation of the federationis, for the most part, incomparable with other states in the region and in variousaspects constitutes a very unique case. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, anumber of democratic reforms were implemented. However, the imperial past andtradition, the complex and problematic relationship between the centre and theregions and, not least, the size of the country, have all significantly affected theperformance of the democratisation process. The impact of those reforms that havebeen undertaken has been notable, however, this is an on-going process and assuch progress and further results still remain to be seen.All countries in the CBSS region have developed democratic parliamentarism,however, in a wide range of various ways.Of particular importance is the role played by the parliaments with respect to thesupervision of foreign policy, which traditionally has been recognised as a realm ofresponsibility of the executive branch. Nowadays, however, elected representativeshave a certain amount of influence on these matters. All the CBSS member statesare members of the UN, OSCE and the Council of Europe, and national parliamentsare represented through appointed delegations in the parliamentary assemblies ofthese organisations.In general, parliamentary committees on foreign affairs perform only consultativefunctions and do not enjoy the right to deliver binding opinions. Nevertheless, thegovernments are requested to provide these bodies with broad information aboutthe conduct of foreign affairs. In Sweden, for example, the government is obligedto consult the Advisory Council on Foreign Affairs before taking decisions, althoughopinions expressed by the Council are to no extent binding. Slightly different is thesituation in Finland where the Foreign Affairs Committee can issue advisorystatements to the government on the committee's own initiative. Of particularattention is the unique position of the Danish Foreign Policy Committee, whoseinfluence on the conduct of the government in foreign affairs is secured by Art. 19.3of the Danish constitution.A separate issue is the role of the parliaments with regard to the conduct ofEuropean affairs. Several of the CBSS member states are also members of theEuropean Union or are applying for membership. In both present and future EUmember states the parliaments have established standing committees on Europeanaffairs or European integration. These committees constitute the main forumswhere the exchange of information and opinions between the government and theparliament takes place. In Denmark the European Affairs Committee is veryinfluential since it provides the ministers with a mandate before the EU's Council ofMinisters' meetings take place and supervises the government's conduct of policy atthe EU level.This ensures a prior involvement of the parliament in the decision-making processin European affairs. The Danish system has proved to be very effective and hasbeen partially copied by Sweden and Finland, where the governments are under thepolitical obligation to consult the committees dealing with European Affairs. In theFinnish system the government must, if necessary, even delay expressing Finland'sposition in European negotiations until the committee has carried out its scrutiny of32the issue at hand. Moreover, following discussions at the European level therelevant minister is required to report back to the Grand Committee.In the states applying for EU membership the parliamentary committees onEuropean Affairs have significantly less influence on the government's conduct thanthose in the member states mentioned above. Although the right to receiveinformation and to question the government is granted, the governments areneither legally nor politically obliged to consult the parliaments. Therefore, thepossibilities to substantially influence the government's conduct of European policyare limited. In Estonia, for example, the government may consult the EuropeanAffairs Committee if the government considers it necessary. Only in Latvia andLithuania has it already been strongly recommended that the Parliament should begranted the right of authorising the government's position and conduct beforeEuropean summits take place.My recommendation for all future EU member states is that they should developprocedures that will strengthen the parliament's role in the conduct of Europeanaffairs and thereby enhance the democratic accountability of this policy.Democratically elected representatives must be given the right to supervise statepolicy in all spheres in order to prevent any exacerbation of the democratic deficitand to avoid a substantial shift of competencies from the legislative to theexecutive branch of power.I hope that the specific examination of this issue, that has been noted in my book"Power in Transition" and that indicates how joining international organisations canresult in the reduction of parliamentary competence and scrutiny, will raiseawareness of this problem, particularly in those states that are to join the EU in2004.Only discussions and insightful exchange of information and experiences can resultin the development of a modern and vibrant participatory democracy in our region;a democracy, which will be able to cope with the challenges of our times.Finally, please allow me to mention the EU referendums we have seen lately. I havefollowed the results in each country very carefully. My concerns are not related tothe YES votes – but on the absence of voters, the very low turnouts. It will make itdifficult for political leaders to govern and to pave the way forward when thereluctance is so remarkable. Aiming at continuously developing our democracies,low turnouts show that we have to do our very best to improve methods ofparticipation and involvement.In concluding let me express the hope that "Power in Transition" will encouragefurther discussions in the Baltic Sea region, discussions that amongst other thingsmight reflect upon:-the development of a modern and expedient division between the differentbranches of power;-encouraging participatory democracy;-building efficient power structures;-ensuring democratic accountability and transparency;-developing common regional positions amongst the CBSS Member states as theyall address the challenges of our times.Let me use this opportunity to say good-bye to all of you, as this is my lastopportunity to address this assembly in my capacity as CBSS Commissioner.33Thank you for your attention and may this assembly grow and be strengthened.A regional approach for marine environment protection: the aspect of safershippingINESE VAIDEREAt this moment when we have a discussion here, around 2000 ships are en route inthe Baltic Sea, about 200 of them are oil tankers.It means that we should be sure every moment that all these ships reach their portof destination successfully, all cargoes are transported safely and the environmentis well protected.Assessing the risk of pollution of the sea from ships there are two things to betaken into account:- the sensitivity of the sea area; and- the character of the maritime traffic, including the number of ships and the typeand amount of cargo transported.The sensitivity of the Baltic Sea mainly is determined by its natural conditions:limited water exchange through narrow Danish Straits, that takes thirty years for atotal exchange of waters.A significant freshwater impact due to the runoff of more than 200 rivers, andA huge catchment area, which is four times the size of the sea itself.It should be realised, if harmful substances are introduced in the sea they willremain there for a very long time.As concerns the shipping and oil handling in the Baltic Sea area noteworthy is thefollowing estimation related to economic development of the Region.A doubling in the transport of goods at sea has been estimated by year 2017.Looking at different sectors, general cargo and container traffic is expected totriple; oil transportation is thought to increase by 40%. Expansion of existing aswell as new oil terminals in the Gulf of Finland and the economic growth in theEastern Baltic countries may lead to further increases.The Baltic Sea states quite early realised that something multilateral had to be doneabout the deteriorating situation of the Baltic Sea area. The basis for this is theConvention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area,from 1974 and revised in 1992 as well as recommendations adopted unanimouslyby the nine countries bordering on the Baltic Sea area and the EuropeanCommunity.The work under the Convention is carried out in several subsidiary bodies andworking groups, under the governance of the Helsinki Commission (HELCOM) - andsupported by a Secretariat of 14 persons.The work has two aims:1.) To protect the marine environment of the Baltic Sea from all sources of pollutionand 2.) to restore the ecosystem of the Baltic Sea and preserve its balance.As an important step towards putting a coherent policy on marine environment inEurope into practice the First Joint Ministerial meeting of HELCOM and OSPAR34commissions held in Bremen in June this year should be mentioned, when twointernational marine commissions, encompassing 20 countries and the EuropeanCommission, met jointly. Latest ship accidents in the north-east Atlantic and theBaltic Sea proved once more that such issues as the impact of shipping to themarine environment is commonly important for both Commissions and should bediscussed jointly at the highest level.At the same time the Helsinki Commission also held a separate ministerial meetingwith the participation of the environmental ministers from all the Baltic Sea statesand a representative from the European Commission. A new focus for HELCOM wasdecided, especially taking into account EU enlargement by May 2004.Firstly - as the environmental focal point for the entire Baltic region, and a reliablesource of information on the state of the Baltic Sea which can form the basis fordecision-making in other international fora;Secondly – as an independent regulatory body, issuing regulations to supplementthose imposed by other international organisations, in order to cater for the Baltic'sspecific needs;Thirdly – as a supervisory body dedicated to ensuring that unified environmentalstandards are fully implemented throughout the Baltic Sea and its catchment area.Among main priorities within this new role of HELCOM are:Ensuring maritime safety, preventing pollution from shipping and upholding a swiftresponse to maritime incidents.At the meeting in Bremen ministers agreed to increase their efforts to ensure safetyof navigation and emergency capacity in the Baltic Sea area, by making maritimesafety an absolute priority for all Baltic Sea governments. Therefore the EU memberstates and the Accession Countries will work together on elaboration of a jointapplication for designation of areas in the Baltic Sea as Particularly Sensitive SeaAreas (PSSAs), taking into account sensitivity of the Baltic marine environment.Participation of Russia in this process is highly welcomed. Unfortunately, thequestion on accelerated phasing out of single-hull tankers in the Baltic Sea area didnot reach consensus due to the refusing position of the Russian delegation.The work to reduce the environmental risks associated with the heavy traffic in theBaltic Sea area is mainly concentrated around:- Elimination of illegal discharges;- Improved safety of navigation to reduce the risk for accidents;- Adequate ability to respond to an accident.This work is based on inventories on transport volumes and risk assessments.By undertaking joint actions in the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) theBaltic Sea states have obtained recognition by the international community of thesensitivity of the Baltic Sea and its heavy sea traffic – requiring all ships regardlessof flag to comply with more stringent discharge regulations when in the Baltic Seaarea. This applies to discharges of oil, other hazardous substances and garbage –and is spelled out in the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution35from Ships – generally referred to as MARPOL 73/78. Likewise various measures toimprove the safety of navigation have been adopted.Regardless of these facts the problem with illegal oil spills has been, and still is, ofgreat concern for all those working for a clean and healthy sea area. And anaccident in 2001 – after a collision between an oil tanker and a bulk carrier – whichresulted in the outflow of 2700 tonnes of heavy fuel oil – again stressed thedangers of the crowded waters.Despite the designation of the Baltic Sea area as a MARPOL special area around 400deliberate illegal oil discharges are detected every year.Even if one of the preconditions for becoming a special area is that there aresatisfactory reception facilities in the area, also measures to urge the shipping touse these and to deter ships from illegally discharging at sea, are needed.To get a halt to deliberate illegal discharges HELCOM in 1996 adopted the BalticStrategy for Port Reception Facilities for Ship-generated Wastes and AssociatedIssues, resting on three main pillars:- Ascertain availability of adequate port reception facilities in all the Baltic Seastates;- Ascertain a high degree of delivery of ship-generated and cargo-associated wastesby obliging ships to deliver wastes that it is illegal to discharge into the sea. This isupheld by a decision to apply the "no-special-fee" system – whereby all shipscalling at a port have to pay a so-called general environmental fee - irrespective ofwhether or not wastes are delivered and irrespective of the amount of wastesdelivered.- Alignment of the amounts of the fines for deliberate illegal discharges, regardlessof where an offender is convicted, including the establishment of a network for co-operation between the prosecutors in the Baltic Sea states.Now, has it so far been a success and has the number of illegal dischargesdecreased? I wish I could say "yes" for both of these questions but the answer isnot that clear. There is a slight reduction of the illegal spills for the Baltic Sea as awhole. But in some parts of the Baltic Sea the number of illegal discharges hasincreased slightly – whereas in other parts there is no data because of the lack ofaerial surveillance. So we still need to continuously discuss how to obtain a full andharmonised implementation of the Baltic Strategy.The quite heavy sea traffic in the Baltic Sea, coupled with narrow straits andshallow waters leading to traffic junctions, each year causes a number of incidents.Over the years there has been quite a number resulting in an oil discharge, andalso a few with discharges of other harmful substances.One of the main assignments within the work of HELCOM is to ensure that theBaltic Sea states can work together during a maritime accident. The starting pointfor this co-operation is:- The establishment of a minimum national ability enabling a response topollution incidents at sea; and following this- The establishment of guidelines for how to carry out the co-operation; included ina HELCOM RESPONSE manual, as well as36- The testing of the co-operation through operational exercises with theparticipation of response vessels from the Baltic Sea states.Operational exercises – so called HELCOM BALEX DELTA exercises - have beencarried out on a yearly basis since 1990.While much has been achieved within the field of response to maritime incidents,both as regards the response capacity of the Baltic states and the standingoperational response network between the Baltic Sea states, the increasingmaritime transportation still places demands on the availability of personnel,equipment and response vessels. A possible new approach how to obtain this wouldbe for the Baltic Sea states in the future not only to rely on each others' assistanceduring maritime incidents but also to rely on each others' – and more specificallyneighbouring states' - response capacity. This could be obtained by theestablishment of – in addition to a minimum national response capacity, dependingon the size of the response area – sub-regional arrangements betweenneighbouring states with a special focus on high risk accident areas. Taken together– these capacities should fit into an established overall HELCOM capacity for thewhole Baltic Sea area.Work has already started within this field with the conclusion of sub-regionalarrangements for the Gulf of Finland and the South-western part of the BalticProper, including the Danish Straits – two areas in the Baltic identified as main highrisk accident areas.Work to improve the safety of navigation was substantially addressed by HELCOMin 2001 following the biggest oil spill in the Baltic Sea in 20 years. An extraordinaryHELCOM Ministerial Meeting was arranged, where the Contracting Parties wererepresented by both their ministers responsible for the environment and theirministers responsible for maritime transport, as well as by a representative fromthe European Community. A voluminous package of measures was adopted toimprove the safety of navigation but also – and thereby acknowledging that it willnever be possible to totally eliminate the risk for a new accident - the adequacy ofresponse and emergency measures in the Baltic Sea area. This package ofmeasures is commonly referred to as the HELCOM Copenhagen Declaration. Theadopted measures range from:- Joint initiatives within the International Maritime Organisation with regard to newsafety and environmental protection measures;- Decisions on implementation of regulations adopted by IMO and the InternationalHydrographic Organisation (IHO), where possible with the strictest demands tosafeguard the Baltic Sea; and- Initiation of regional actions, thus making use of the ability of HELCOM to bringabout actions quicker than typically possible in IMO.The fact that the HELCOM Copenhagen Declaration was adopted by the ministersgives it a particular political weight – however, it is important to stress that we arenot only talking about a Declaration of good will. Many of the measures were alsoincluded to the Helsinki Convention; these measures entered into force on 1December 2002 and are thus legally binding under international law.37Much progress has been achieved in the implementation of the HELCOMCopenhagen Declaration and for those activities with a set target date theimplementation will be reached in time. To achieve a full implementation it is,however, important to have a continued commitment on a broad regional level.The work of HELCOM shows its capacity to meet new challenges but also thatimproved maritime safety and emergency as well as response capacity can begained on a regional level. An enlarged EU does not change this situation – but itdoes require the states bordering on the Baltic Sea area to co-ordinate internally aswell as among each other to agree upon their standpoint to be presented indifferent international fora.The operational work to respond to maritime incidents will continue in its presentform. To the extent possible the Baltic Sea states should work for the allocation ofEU funds for identified needs in the Baltic Sea area within the response field.As for the work to prevent pollution from ships HELCOM should ensure that thediversity of the Baltic Sea area is taken into account in the EU regulatory process.And if need be HELCOM shall make use of its own legal mandate to adopt measuressupplementary to the EU measures, due to specific Baltic Sea requirements.Let me finally encourage you to have a look at our website where you can find a lotof information about the work carried out to ensure a safe and environmentallysound navigation and about HELCOM as such.Common measures to combat environmental risks of increased shippingHANNA MATINPUROThe Baltic Sea is one of the most polluted seas in the world. It also has some of thedensest maritime traffic in the world. At the same time it is characterised by itssensitivity and high vulnerability. I will not go into the details about its ecologicalcharacteristics nor its value for us, as people from the Baltic Sea region, I think youall know this by your own experience.Luckily the Baltic Sea region is also known of its extensive networks and forums forregional co-operation. This Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference being one of them.Several other networks are also present today in this meeting. It's a great pleasurefor me to have this opportunity to address you all.I am representing the Finnish Association for Nature Conservation, with its 30,000members, the biggest environmental NGO in Finland. I also bring the message fromthe already mentioned NGO-forum (thematic group on sustainable lifestyles) andfrom the Coalition Clean Baltic (CCB), which is a network of environmentalorganisations from the countries of the Baltic Sea. Currently CCB unites 27 memberorganisations from Finland, Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Germany,Denmark and Sweden. Together the member organisations of CCB have over half amillion members in all countries around the Baltic Sea.Maritime safety issues have been high on the regional and international agenda. Inthe Baltic Sea area the increased traffic and forecasted continuous growth posesan increasing threat to the marine environment. Without improvements in safety38and environmental protection the growth in the volume of traffic will inevitablyresult in more accidents and increased pollution.This has been recognised in different forums and the necessary actions to lower thenegative impacts and risks from increased traffic has been presented. One of themain actors in this work has been the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference. Andyour work is ver much appreciated.The needed joint measures to enhance maritime safety are listed in several forums,and there is widespread common understanding of the possible and neededmeasures. This includes a wide set of measures: regulations, economic incentives,finances, information, guidance and education. The need to phase-out single-hulltankers; rules for winter traffic, ice classification and ice breaker servicearrangements; designation and protection of Particularly Sensitive Sea Areas(PSSAs); strengthened liability; mandatory pilotage; control of illegal waste and oildischarges; regulation on discharges of ballast water; emissions limits; a clean shipconcept; improved seafarer training; a joint Baltic Sea Fund (funded by fees fromship owners and shipping companies operating in the Baltic Sea should be foundedto cover rescue operation costs in case of oil spills or other hazardous spills), acharging system to encourage good ship-owners, to name a few.Is everything then in order? As you know these mentioned measures are not yet inplace. These ideas are not yet reality. And in case of existing regulations,implementation and enforcement is lacking. I will not go into the details of thesemeasures, though they are important, but I will concentrate on three politicalapproaches for actions which would help to get the process forward. And here is arole for you, parliamentarians as well.1) Work on all levels of co-operation, national, regional and international. HELCOM,EU and IMO. To enforce and put timetables into action.2) Point out those who are stopping progress.3) To make things political, to take the political responsibilityI want to comment on these points briefly:1) For example, while the declaration of the joint ministerial meeting (HELCOM-OSPAR) mentions all the current pressing issues and some progress was made atthe meeting (the ministers agreed to speed up the entry into force of severalinstruments like dealing with ballast water, antifouling, liability and damagecompensation), this resolution mostly only "welcomes", "supports" or "urges" actionin other forums (principally the International Maritime Organisation and the EU); Itonly refers to joint efforts in other forums on existing initiatives and relates to theimplementation and enforcement of existing measures.Few would disagree that the IMO has a vital role to play in this area, but it is wrongto believe that on shipping issues its competence is or should be exclusive.Shipping is certainly a global trait and ideally regulation at that level makes mostsense, but the IMO contains many countries, including the influential Flag ofConvenience (FoC) nations representing the shipping industry, that are happy tosideline environmental concerns. Timely agreement on appropriately progressivemeasures has in the past proved difficult, if not impossible to achieve at IMO. It isalso true that global standards cannot always take account of the particular39environmental sensitivities or political priorities of sea areas like the Baltic, oraccommodate regional desires to go beyond what can be agreed globally.An implicit acknowledgement of these limitations is behind many of the post-Prestige and indeed post-Erika EU initiatives (e.g., on the phase-out of single-hulltankers). They illustrate both the possibilities for regional action and the effect thata willingness to act regionally can have on the performance of IMO. A post-Erika EUinitiative and threat of regional action led to the IMO's initial phase-out timetablefor single hull tankers, and a similar threat post-Prestige looks likely to result infurther restrictions on the life-span of these vessels.The joint ministerial meeting was a disappointment. It cannot ignore what ishappening elsewhere, but ministers should recognise that it has a role to play inensuring the success of those initiatives, and a responsibility to act itself if otherforums fail to deliver.Firstly, if ministers are to defer to action elsewhere they must make it clear whatthey expect from those forums and they must identify deadlines by which actionhas to take place. Secondly, they must make it clear what action they will take atOSPAR-HELCOM level if the initiatives in other forums do not yield satisfactoryresults. Initiatives at IMO on single-hull tankers, PSSA's, FoCs (the Flag-State Codeand Compulsory Model Audit Schemes), pilotage, as well as ballast water, harmfulantifoulings and port-state control require this kind of treatment.I urge the BSPC to help in this issue and to challenge governments to work on alllevels.2) As you know the joint ministerial meeting did not succeed in making a jointapplication to designate the Baltic Sea as a PSSA. And we all know that it wasRussia which deleted the text from the declaration.We have to help each other to achieve the high standards in environmentalprotection, but if necessary be ready to also point out those who are lagging behindand slowing down the process and put public pressure on them. And at the sametime try to find ways to help laggards out of the situation. In this case it wasRussia, in other cases it was other countries, like Finland in the question of sealhunting at the June HELCOM meeting. Finland stopped a HELCOM decision on sealmanagement that could have helped the Baltic fishermen to reduce the conflictsbetween seals and fisheries in the Northern Baltic.International pressure helps to widen the national discussion. E.g. in case of RussiaI know that most of the people on the shores of the Baltic Sea are in favour ofdesignating the Baltic Sea as a PSSA, or they would be if they were informed of theprocess.Besides increasing the transparency of, and information on, and follow up of thepolitical forums the whole transport sector needs much more transparency andliability and responsibility of all actors. It also needs a chain of custody system, tomake it possible also for customers to know how the oil and chemicals cargo istransported and how the 'polluter pays principle' is followed.403) The role of the BSPC and national parliaments is important. I call on you to giveHELCOM more political weight. In conclusion, we need common measures tocombat environmental risks of increased shipping. But I would like to also challengeyou to look at the whole picture. Is the increase of maritime traffic possible for everand is it inevitable?BRIEF COMMENTSSYLVIA BRETSCHNEIDEROn behalf of the delegation of the Parliament of the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, I would like to thank both the City of Oulu and the Finnish Parliamentfor their hospitality.At this point, I do not want to repeat what Ms. Ojala has said on this topic, butMalmö has prepared the ground for the work to be done by our conference. Thetopic of 'maritime safety' was a key element in the resolutions adopted in 2001 and2002, and it will play a major role at this conference as well. In the final analysis, itis owed to the work done by the newly established Committee on Maritime Safety(COMS) working group and its contacts, and to the fact that the BSPC was grantedan observer status at HELCOM. In accordance to the mandate, the exercise of thisobserver status was shared by representatives of the Folketing and of theParliament of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The results of this mandate have beendescribed in a written report that is available at this conference.This report including annexes describes how the Baltic Sea ParliamentaryConference executed its mandate and the considerable extent to which theresolutions of the conference have already been implemented by the executives ofthe Baltic Sea countries. It also shows that the topic of maritime safety, in whichthe BSPC has invested much dedication, commitment and effort, was verysuccessfully supported in terms of both practical and political results.I would now like to limit my remarks to key political aspects of our report on thetopic of 'maritime safety'. For those who are interested, the written documents andannexes provide more detailed information.The key conferences in the framework of the exercise of our observer status at theHelsinki Commission were the joint IMO/HELCOM/EU Workshop in Rostock in Marchand the Ministerial Meetings of HELCOM and OSPAR in Bremen in June this year. Inaddition, observers were present at the meetings of the HELCOM Heads ofDelegation (HOD) in Berlin, Rostock and Bremen.All in all, it is fair to say that parts of the HELCOM Copenhagen Declaration – andthe resolutions from Greifswald – have already been successfully implemented,although it is necessary to continue to step up efforts designed to improve maritimesafety.In accordance with the resolutions adopted by the BSPC in Greifswald and in St.Petersburg, nearly all Baltic Sea countries felt that it was necessary to designateParticularly Sensitive Sea Areas (PSSA), to introduce compulsory use of pilots insuch areas and to accelerate the phase-out of single-hull tankers. This view was not41shared by the representatives of the Russian delegations. Because of the unanimityrule, it was therefore not possible to adopt any resolutions to this effect at theHELCOM Ministerial Meeting.The rejection of the designation of PSSA in the Baltic Sea meant that one of the keygoals of the other Baltic Sea countries had been thwarted, i.e. to implement stricterrules via the IMO for ships travelling in such areas. The Russian delegation felt thatthe national rights of each Baltic Sea country in its territorial waters should berespected when it came to implementing special measures and rules for theprotection of the marine environment in keeping with IMO rules. In addition, in thecontext of the phase-out of single hull tankers the Russian delegation pointed outthat it was necessary to consider the dependence of countries on the oil industry.The compromise found fell short of what had been expected. The goal must now beto try to develop regional measures that will have the same effects as the plannedaccelerated phase-out of single-hull tankers and the banning of the transport ofheavy oil in single-hull tankers. It remains to be seen whether individual Baltic Seacountries – acting either alone or as a group – will take initiatives to that effect inthe framework of the IMO. The BSPC must therefore continue to call for theimplementation of such measures.In my statement, I cited important demands of the BSPC, which are also includedin the draft resolution. I also drew attention to the joint resolutions adopted by theenvironmental committees of the Nordic Council and of the Baltic Assembly callingupon players at all levels to apply stricter rules to the disposal of harmfulsubstances from shipping operations, and to make every effort to convince the IMOthat the entire Baltic Sea should be designated as a PSSA. In addition, I expressedmy gratitude to HELCOM for including the BSPC as an observer because this hasmade it possible to build bridges between the legislative assemblies and theexecutives across boundaries.The participants of the joint HELCOM/OSPAR ministerial meeting stated, that manyinitiatives had been launched not only at an international level by the IMO and theEU, but also on the national and regional level. They emphasised that the keyobjective now was to implement the measures adopted to date systematically andrapidly within the framework of the law of the Sea Convention.The most important demands were:-the adoption of rules by the European Commission for limiting the use of single-hull oil tankers as well as prohibiting the use of such tankers for transporting heavyoil,-the support of initiatives launched to establish – within the IMO – a supplementaryfund for the compensation of victims of oil pollution incidents from tankers,-the designation of PSSA, and-the introduction of compulsory use of pilots in particularly sensitive areas.It has turned out that the fact that the BSPC has intensively dealt with the topic ofmaritime safety in the past two years has led to an acceleration of discussionprocesses and measures that in the final analysis have improved maritime safety.The EU member states and the candidate countries now unanimously supportadditional demands that are to be implemented at international, European, national42and regional level. If Russia were to go along with these demands, this wouldrepresent considerable progress because if all the Baltic Sea countries speak withone voice within the IMO, this will give more weight to their demands and increasethe likelihood that their demands will be implemented.In view of the strained ecological situation of the Baltic Sea as well as the expectedincrease in maritime traffic and the risks posed by this increase – ultimately also forRussia – politicians from all the Baltic Sea countries must live up to theirresponsibility yet more effectively than in the past.In that respect, the BSPC could once again assume a pilot function if the necessarydemands were adopted unanimously here in Oulu.ASTRID THORSIn the last years the European Parliament (EP) has been debating quite many timesabout Baltic Sea questions. Last month we adopted a report for the conservation ofthe marine environment at various places where the Baltic Sea was of coursementioned. It was emphasised that we need a regional adjustment and we talkedabout the need to make arrangements and agreements with third countries so thatwe can bring about better classifications of the vessels and pinpoint the traderoutes. At the same time we should also start the phasing out of single-hulltankers. In the 'Prestige Package' we also stressed the need to strengthen thesecurity of transportation at large and that is part of the European Parliamentsproposal.If you look at the strategy of the EP there is the need of the EU and the EP itself totry to strengthen its efforts and its presence in the region and that is why I was sohappy to hear that the Standing Committee will come to Brussels in November. Ihope that this visit will even strengthen the efforts of the European Commissionand the EP in this co-operation. Ms Chairman Outi Ojala mentioned another areawhere we should try to strengthen this parliamentary dimension and that is the co-operation within the CBSS.During the day we have mentioned many of the EU's typical titles and acronyms,one thing we haven't given enough attention to in our work yet is the so calledWider Europe. I think it is time for us to realise strategically that this is where themoney from the EU resources at the outer borders is going to and I believe many ofus think that the Northern Dimension has always been seen as one part of a widerEurope. But within this Wider Europe programme there will also be new initiativesnew instruments and I think it is absolutely correct that the Northern Dimensioncan be part of this Wider Europe.I appeal to you here to look at the problems with stronger pragmatism and goagainst the environmental crimes that happened in February/March. I think wehave to strengthen our co-operation in terms of surveillance and also raise thesanctions. So I hope that you go to your national parliaments and look at thesethings with new eyes and bring those to book who don't follow the rules.I would also like to say that the Baltic Sea is both for people and for nature and weshould not forget that it is man who has brought culture to these regions and Ithink that minister Ojuland mentioned the excellent heritage that we have around43the Baltic Sea which we should conserve. I hope that we can all work towards thesegoals.ASMUND KRISTOFFERSENLet me start by thanking the speakers and contributors for an interesting sessionthis morning. I would also express my appreciation to the organisers for addressingenvironmental problems in the Baltic Sea region at this conference and theresolution. I would also express my gratitude to the ministers present at theHELCOM meeting in Bremen earlier this year for their work to make the Baltic Sea aParticularly Sensitive Sea Area under IMO. I am the chairman of the EnvironmentalCommittee in the Nordic Council, and a member of the Norwegian Parliament.I would like to use the topic of the conference as a back drop of my comments. Inmy opinion the knowledge-based society is a necessity and prerequisite for soundmanagement of our common natural resources. Exchange of knowledge and flow ofinformation are the corner stones of a knowledge-based society.I could give many examples of how important knowledge and information flow is inresource management, but I think all of you here understand the importance. Youalso appreciate the importance of co-operation for a good exchange in informationand knowledge.I'll say some words about the work the Nordic Council is involved in regarding themarine environment of the Baltic Sea. In May the Environment Committees of theNordic Council and the Baltic Assembly signed a Memorandum of Understanding toco-operate on improving the Baltic Sea environment and shipping. We both supportthe Baltic Sea as a Particularly Sensitive Sea Area, and I think the ministerial levelis on the right track in this case as was evident from the meeting in Luleå onAugust 29th.The co-operation between Nordic Council and Baltic Assembly environmentcommittees marks a closer tie between the parliaments involved. I believe we willcontinue co-operation on how to manage our common natural resources. I canassure you that I will continue to work on these matters until we have managed toprotect the Baltic Sea and any other natural resource we depend upon, in the bestpossible way, and I am sure we will succeed better if we all are on board.Ladies and gentlemen! I really do hope that we can agree to solve the question ofpollution and oil transport in the Baltic Sea. This is only one problem that we arefacing. But trust me, there are other problems waiting ahead of us. Allow me torecall the tragic accident of the submarine in the Barents Sea only two weeks ago.In this accident human lives were lost and the accident also showed that we have achallenge ahead concerning nuclear waste in our region.Ladies and gentlemen! We have many problems ahead of us, but it is important forme to underline that the issue this morning is the maritime safety in the Baltic Seaand it is my hope that we can agree to recommended the Baltic sea to bedesignated a Particularly Sensitive Sea Area within the framework of IMO.44VATANYAR YAGYAThanks to all of you who have spoken here today and especially those whomentioned Russia and St. Petersburg. And I would also like to say that in theEstonian Foreign ministers speech it came out how wonderful St. Petersburg is andthe fact that we are celebrating the cities' 300th anniversary. The CBSS and theBSPC have undertaken a great number of different measures and organised eventsin honour of this 300th anniversary and in the wake of these events we had a lot ofdiscussions, high-level talks, we had summits, and people coming from 45 differentstates.The conference itself within the framework of the BSPC, where the StandingCommittee did a great deal of work particularly regarding parliamentarian contactsand ties between various Baltic Sea states, St. Petersburg and Russia as well.Within the framework of the celebrations in St. Petersburg there was a declarationmade on the importance of preserving the culture of the various Baltic Sea statesand I think this is a very important declaration which makes it possible for us topreserve the very best of what we have. And we should look at what our ancestorshave done and how this can enrich our lives.Within the framework of this meeting in St. Petersburg we had bilateral discussionsbetween the parliamentarians from Schleswig Holstein in Germany and between theState Parliament of Tallinn, Hamburg and various others. We felt that there was aneed to have a Baltic Sea Parliamentarian Conference, that concentrates more oncommon goals, such goals must be analysed, for example the issue of educationwithin the regional development. It is also necessary to mention education at theuniversity level. I personally think it is time to turn to the idea the CBSS had in thevery beginning in 1992 which was to have a unified university region.I want to draw your attention to the way the EuroFaculty has been set up by theCBSS and in 1992 the idea was born to also have a EuroFaculty in St. Petersburg.And I would like to draw your attention to the fact that Russia along with otherssupports the development of education but of course there is a difference betweensupporting a process and actually getting it going, those are two different things.One fact that this is not acknowledged and recognised is a fact we talked about inthe St. Petersburg Dialogue, President Putin and Chancellor Schröder also discussedthis issue last year but the problem remained: there hasn't been anything beyonddiscussing, acknowledging and recognising.I would like to point at the idea that we talked about earlier on and that is thecreation of a Baltic Sea Youth Fund. I think this idea is very good, I read at thisuniversity that there are 400 students of the university where we currently findourselves who in a course of a year go and visit Russia for 2-3 weeks sojourns. Thisis a very small number and it is only when we no longer have visa requirementsbetween Russia and the EU or at least some kind of movement in this process, thatthe figures can increase also outside the universities - because students can getvisas without any problems at least, so that we can talk about a flow of studentsbetween our countries and a flow of cultural values.I am only going to give my last comment now, that concerning the environmentalissue that we have examined here and discussed intensely, we need to bare in45mind that nobody is a saint. In the Baltic Sea there is a huge number of chemicals,great dumps created by various people for example the allies not only after WW II.I think the BSPC in 1992 had a representative of St Petersburg who spoke to theparliamentarians to draw their attention to the fact that this has been silenced.Yesterday evening I went for a walk on the shores of Oulu and it seemed to me asif you can smell the chemical weapons coming out of the bay, but then I noticedthat it was just this paper mill that is on the other side of the bay and here we aretalking about preserving the Baltic Sea environment.ANKE SPOORENDONKI am happy to speak here today as a representative of the Danish minority inSchleswig-Holstein. As a representative from Schleswig-Holstein I would like toexpress my gratitude that the chair of the standing committee Ms. Ojala reportedon the importance of the engagement with the new framework convention of theBaltic Sea where we intensify the work between parliamentarians.I believe that this includes the response to the question of which consequences itwill have for Baltic Sea parliamentarian co-operation that the meeting of theministers of the Baltic Sea states will only take place every other year in the future.I am talking about this now because our experiences in Schleswig-Holstein haveshown, that relationships between minority and majority population is a sign forhow much democracy is flourishing and therefore democracy needs to besomething that is lived. Parliamentarian co-operation is symbolic of this. Because itis only through this co-operation that we can see that minority policy is always alsosocial policy.In Schleswig-Holstein we also experienced that human rights and minority policyare two sides of the same coin and against this background I am extremelyconcerned that the mandate of the commissioner on democratic development isgoing to end by the CBSS. This means that we are losing a voice at a time where itis absolutely crucial for the Baltic Sea states that democracy is not to beunderstood as a system but as a way of life. That really should be questionedpolitically, it ought to be examined and discussed in advance.OLE STAVADIn light of the short time I will content myself with two brief points of view and thatis firstly to underline what Mr. Enestam said and that is that the Baltic Sea area isthe most vulnerable sea area that we have. Therefore I want to express a strongcall to all colleagues that when we all go home to our parliaments to make surethat we exert the maximum pressure on our governments that we can get PSSAstatus as quickly as possible for the Baltic Sea. As has been said already if we aregoing to have that status from 2004 it is by December at the latest that we shouldhave applied to the IMO.I think that it is extremely important given the initiative we have been taking whenwe are talking about the Baltic Sea, to remember that we ought to get it into aright international perspective. The IMO is the right place to make these decisions,it is great that we can work together. What we do in HELCOM is extremelyimportant and that the EU takes the initiative but if we are going to secure safetyirregardless to what nationality these ships have I am sure that under international46rules it is the UN organisation, the IMO, that we should go to. So I call to allcolleagues here that we should do our homework and that we should not forgetthese speeches that we hold here.The other thing I wanted to say here is on what is happening in the CBSS at themoment? Do we parliamentarians have any control or feeling for it? We heard avery interesting speech from our current president Ms Ojuland, but in that speechthere were some signals that I can't interpret. We know that at the ministerial levelthey have decided to end the commissioners mandate. But last year we had thecommissioner with us at the BSPC and all that happened without any sort of contactto the parliamentarians at least as far as I know.So I want to propose to the Standing Committee that when we are planning themeeting next year in Bergen, we should think of inviting as many of our ministersas possible to enhance the dialogue between the parliamentarians and the ministersas to what we are going to use the CBSS for in the future. It was clear from MsOjulands speech that the ministers and the governments are considering changesand I think that is right. But I think it is decisive that these changes should takeplace in close co-operation with the parliamentarians. So I hope that the StandingCommittee will take up this work and hopefully identify it as a priority and theministers should be present and involved in our next year's discussions.FOLKE SJÖLUNDAs a representative from the Åland Islands which are situated in the middle of theBaltic Sea, the Gulf of Bothnia, I would like to make a few short comments andfocus on the environmental co-operation in the Baltic Sea region. There are twomain problems, one problem is the nutrification of the Baltic Sea the other is theMaritime Safety.I am not going to deal with the nutrification we could keep a separate conferenceon that. But I must say that we are most pleased and grateful to the progress anddevelopment of the BSPC resolution concerning the maritime safety and theenvironmental state of the Baltic. Especially I want to mention the statement in theresolution about the Baltic Sea as a Particularly Sensitive Sea Area within the IMO.This measure will considerably increase our potential to protect the Baltic Sea ofmaritime accidents by setting higher demands on the ships and also on thecompetence of the crews on the ships, all this will have a positive effect onmaritime safety. The minister of environment in Finland, Mr. Enestam talked aboutthe measures that Finland is taking in order to diminish the risk of oil accidents. Westrongly support this development.Everybody can imagine what a catastrophe an oil tanker accident in the northernpart of the Baltic Sea would be in the vast archipelago of south-west Finland, theÅland Islands and the Stockholm archipelago which consists of more than 30.000islands. It would be an enormous catastrophe. The cleaning up and sanitation of forexample 1000 tons of oil would require an enormous amount of work and a costwhich is huge. It is impossible to estimate the costs but it would be many millions,perhaps even hundred millions of EUR. But from our point of view the absolutelymost important measure is the work on strengthening the maritime safetymaximally, thus hoping that maritime accidents never will happen in the Baltic Sea47especially where oil tankers are involved. Therefore we strongly support the projectdesignating the Baltic Sea as a Particularly Sensitive Maritime Area.ELENA KALININAIt is a great privilege and pleasure for me to participate in the 12th Baltic SeaParliamentary Conference. Let me read the message of greetings from thegovernment of St. Petersburg to the participants of the conference.I would like to express our great satisfaction with the fact that the Nordic countriesCouncil of Ministers has made a decision to hold the 4th Conference on Women andDemocracy in St. Petersburg in 2005.I am the Rector of St. Petersburg Social and Economic Institute. Our Institute hasgreat experience in organising international conferences. We have conducted the"Women in the Changing World" conference since 1994. This conference is theevent that unites women of Russia, CIS countries and Europe. The conferences arefollowed by exhibitions and presentations of "women projects" which are the realproof for the potential of business women. These conferences give us anopportunity to combine words and deeds: not only to discuss problems ofdemocratic integration but to implement real projects aiming at practical solutions.Thus, the project "Business-to Business" aiming at establishing business contactsbetween entrepreneurs of St. Petersburg, the Leningrad region and Finland hasbeen implemented with the support of the Finnish Ministry of Labour and ofEconomics and Trade.Another project that is being implemented with financial support from SIDA, aimsat setting up Resource Centres for small and medium business development inthree districts of the Leningrad region. "Network across borders" is the name of onemore project for establishing business contacts between women in Denmark,Estonia and St. Petersburg which has been recently accomplished.Realisation of all those projects could not be possible without broad discussion ofthe gender equality problems, without finding proper forms and mechanisms forrealisation of the policy of equal rights and opportunities for men and women. Theinstitute has great experience of collaboration with well-developed democracies ofthe northern countries and we have real results of using progressive foreignexperience.It is important that the conference of the year 2005 is to be aimed at prospectivestrategies promoting women into all the spheres of public life. I should emphasisethat the conference will take place in the year of the 10th anniversary of the BeijingWorld Conference on Women at which obligations of the Russian government weredeclared. Unfortunately Russia is still on place 74 regarding the realisation of thepolicy of equal rights.Therefore our task for the following two years is not only to prepare and conductthe conference itself but to ensure a constructive dialogue between the authorities,public organisations, politicians, journalists and scientists, between all those whocan influence and form the public opinion. I have already mentioned our annualinternational conference "Women in a changing World".48In a month, during October 3rd-5th the 10th conference will be held in St.Petersburg. This year the conference has a new name: "Women changing theWorld". It is expected that there will be over 700 participants. This conference willsummarise results of the previous forums and open new co-operation horizons. Wehope that the conference will help to harmonise human and business relations tofacilitate favourable development of Europe in the 21st century. Welcome to St.Petersburg!SECOND SESSIONKnowledge Society in the Baltic Sea regionKnowledge Society – What does it mean?INGE LØNNINGAll societies require specific knowledge, skills and competence of its members orcitizens for the society to function. What is then characteristic of and what are theaims for the Knowledge Society? In its communication on the role of theuniversities in "The Europe of Knowledge", the European Commission gives thefollowing definition:"The Knowledge Society depends for its growth on the production of newknowledge, its transmission through education and training, its disseminationthrough information and communication technologies, and on its use through newindustrial processes and services".The identity of the university as an institution circles around knowledge; theproduction of knowledge through research, the transfer of research-basedknowledge through education, the diffusion of knowledge through publishing andlibraries, and not least, the cultivation of critical judgement through scholarship anda fostering of an anti-authoritarian attitude.With the widespread adoption of new Information and Communication Technologies(ICTs) in teaching, research and administration of the education sector, we see thatcore activities in systems of higher education and research are being structured byand around ICTs.Indeed the speed of change of information and communication technologiesspearheaded by the Internet and the World Wide Web is unique in history. As lateas in the mid 1990s, few of us could have imagined the enormous explosion ofcommunications world-wide over the Internet. In advanced industrialised countriesin particular, computers and the Internet are now pervasive features of everydaylife and increasingly affect the organisation and functioning of society.The requirements of the Knowledge Society have led to reforms at various levels ofeducation, training and research in many countries, and in some cases to repeatedreforms. In these sectors, the following factors are inherent parts of the KnowledgeSociety:A stronger emphasis on formal education, as seen through the important increasein the levels of formal education in the population as a whole. The proportion of the49population in any given age group with secondary or higher education qualificationsor even doctoral degrees has increased quite significantly in most Europeancountries over the past decades.As a result of the massification of higher education, and consequently a growth ofresearch, there has been a decline in the confidence in scientific knowledge. Whatexplains this paradox is that the society becomes more and more knowledgeable, itis more capable of testing assertions based on so-called scientific truths and also tomake science socially and morally accountable.We see a development of information and communication technologies as apowerful tool in so many contexts, including the changing role of teachers and themethods of learning. We observe more co-operation between education andtraining systems, research, and the society and the economy at large. We have agrowing focus on life-long learning, comprising questions related to access toeducation and training, irrespective of age, social or geographic background, and torecognition of prior knowledge, skills and competencies, whether formal orinformal.The development of basic skills, or key competencies, as a basis for future learningis equally important. We need a comprehensive strategy to deal with this, wherebasic education and continuing education will complement each other. Our policyshould be based on a broad concept of knowledge, where theoretical and practicalknowledge and the promotion of creativity, initiative and social skills are integratedparts. The policy must be based on co-operation between many actors: publicauthorities, social partners, providers of education, private and public institutions,organisations and enterprises. We need to have a long-term perspective, and allparties involved should make an active contribution.The output of education and training, and the significance of knowledge for acountry's economy, are receiving increased attention. As many governmentsbecome more concerned with how universities can serve the economy in aglobalised world, more emphasis is put on accountability. In many countries thishas led to a focus of attention on production efficiency in terms of student flow,publication frequency, and product quality in terms of students' achievements. Atleast in Anglo-Saxon countries, these pressures have led universities to seek tocompete for lucrative foreign high-fee students as to get less dependent on publicfunding. It was in fact such pressures in the Anglo-Saxon world that prompted theemergence of a global market for educational services in the 1990's, somethingthat has put education on the agenda in the WTO negotiations on trade in services.For all the above mentioned reasons, in Europe at large, a multitude of initiativeshave been set in place in the fields of education, training and research, and I willbriefly mention some of the most important ones:-In March 2000 the Heads of states of the European Union, meeting in Lisbon,stated that they were aiming at becoming "the most competitive and dynamicknowledge-based economy in the world, capable of sustainable economic growthwith more and better jobs and greater social cohesion". This is an aim we all share,members of the EU or not. We need a skilled workforce to fulfil this goal, as well asinformed and enlightened individuals for social and cultural development. Education50and training is a main element in the Lisbon process and the follow-up activitieshave already changed the focus of co-operation in education.-The Council of Europe's and UNESCO's higher education recognition convention,with its Diploma Supplement.-The Council of Europe's reference of threshold levels in language learning, and itslanguage portfolio.-The unique Bologna Process in higher education, involving more than 30 Europeancountries, and aiming at more compatible and readily understandable degreesystems (including recognition through the generalisation of the DiplomaSupplement). The aims of the Bologna Declaration are to increase student andteacher mobility and through this create a genuine European area of highereducation.Let me give a couple of examples of what is possible to achieve through regionalco-operation within education and research. The Nordic countries have through theNordic Council during the last 50 years co-operated in this field. We haveestablished some Nordic institutions in fields where each country is too small tohave a viable institute, like the Nordic Institute for Asian Studies, the NordicInstitute for Women's studies and Gender Research, or the Nordic Institute forTheoretical Physics. The Nordic countries have also since a few years back anagreement on the common educational market. That means that the students whenthey have finished secondary school can apply to enter at any university ortechnical high school in any Nordic country on equal terms. In helping the studentsto finance their studies we have established financial support schemes mainly on anational basis, but in addition we have certain Nordic financial programs toencourage the students to study in another Nordic country.We should have more of these arrangements in the Baltic Sea area. Students andresearchers must be able to maximise the opportunities available to them, notablythrough the promotion of university exchanges and the use of virtual learningfacilities. Let us promote the creation of a "knowledge-based region" through jointprojects, networking and mobility in the fields of education and training, research,culture and youth.This is well in line with the EU Commissions Second Northern Dimension Action Plan2004-2006. The Action Plan also says that the Northern Dimension partners willwork to improve communication and information exchange among all sectors of thescientific community in Russia and in the enlarged EU. This will improve thedissemination of information to the scientific community at large in the region andcreate a mechanism for stimulating co-operation between the many scientificinstitutes and universities in the north.What about the concept 'quality' in our education systems? In which ways canquality be documented, and how can we measure improvements? Participation ininternational studies can help us to find answers to these questions, and theexchange of good practice can give us ideas on how to improve our educationsystems. We must use the opportunity to be tested and compared. If you want tobe a world champion, you have to participate in the world championship. Qualityalways implies comparison.51It is absolutely necessary to participate in international analyses and comparisons,to get qualified and objective information on the status and standard of oureducation. Facts are a prerequisite for taking informed decisions about reforms ornew initiatives.To understand the development of the Internet revolution it is important to look atthe inherent qualities of technology and see how these instigate and enable humanactivities and social organisation. Very briefly: according to one of the leadinganalysts of ICTs from a social science point of view, Manuel Castells, the Internetdoes not only entail a communication revolution but he contends, "the Internet isthe technological basis for the organisational form of the information age: thenetwork".Let me give you an example of network building in the Baltic Sea region. Theeleven Prime Ministers in the Baltic Sea region and the President of the EuropeanCommission in April 2000 established the CBSS Task Force on CommunicableDisease Control. In a letter endorsing the general plan for collaboration, theEstonian Prime Minister underlined the need for training in public health. Thecapacity of the existing schools and training programmes, all over the region, arefar too small to effectively deal with the present and emerging health problems.The Task Force has established a powerful and flexible network of committed staffin schools of public health. Such a network is cost-efficient and supportssustainability. It builds on existing national, academic resources. A secretariat hasbeen set up in Tallinn and an Interim Council will be replaced by a permanentstructure on January 1st 2004.The network mobilises an immediate effort to attack dangerous health threats:HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, antibiotic resistance and hospital infections. It will focus onhealth economy, health care management and development. The countries in theBaltic Sea region spend between 5-10% of GNP on health care. How to prioritisethe limited resources we have? Academic and administrative collaboration acrossthe borders can help all of us to find more adequate answers.There are today unacceptable differences in living conditions and health betweenclose neighbours in our region. To strengthen education and establish "knowledgesocieties" it is a most important step to fight barriers to collaboration. I believe thisnetwork in public health training is a practical example and a model that fits theresolution we will adopt during this conference.Let me sum up my contribution in one sentence: The Knowledge Society in theBaltic Sea area - our societies – is made of societies that are more and moredependent on knowledge, in research and education, in economic production, inpolitical regulation and in all aspects of everyday life.The Baltic states on the move towards a Knowledge EconomyALGIRDAS KUNCINASI am going to talk about information technology in the Baltic Sea and I am going totake examples from three countries. I am going to talk about Estonia, Latvia andLithuania which as you can see on the one side have the same neighbours and on52the other side they don't. I must say that three years ago we had a meeting withthe ministers and were looking at the area of information technology in the BalticSea region, this was under the auspices of the European Commission, and we cameout with a plan of action as a result of this and I would like to touch on a few ofthese points.The Northern eDimension action plan that we came out with has to be seen as aregional initiative in which the CBSS plays a leading role and different entities,regional authorities and governmental institutions, businesses and regionalcommunities are part of it. The Northern eDimension action plan promotes newkinds of joint efforts for regional integration through Information Society activities.This plan intends to create synergies and to bring EU policies for the InformationSociety together such as eEurope and eEurope+ and national e-initiatives. TheNorthern eDimension Action Plan aims to provide added value to the regions thatare increasingly involved in cross-border co-operation dealing with IT relevantprojects and actions.Now let us look at the situation in the Baltic's. In Estonia the number of engineersand the export of IT products, higher education high technology products and thenumber of people who use the Internet and the number of IT as a part of the GDP.Naturally we have to look at the situation in a wider sense, the situation seems bestin Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are on the same level. Let us now look in detail atthe situation through the percentage of Internet users in the Baltic Sea states andwe can see that the percentage differs hugely between the countries. It depends aswell on prices, how much you have to pay for access to the Internet and if we lookat the one-minute price-ranking of Internet access you can see that where it costsa lot you have less users which makes sense.If we look at business entities and the situation of the Baltic Sea states basicallyyou can say that in the year 2002 enterprises used IT a lot for business purposeswhere Estonia is at the top of the list, Lithuania is in between and Latvia is a bitfurther down the scale. This gives you an insight on the situation regarding theturnover of information communication technologies and you can see that the BalticSea states are very similar. But if you compare them to Finland you see there is stillroom for improvement and we hope to achieve better results in the future.Let us look at Baltic societies in terms of the successes in various cultural areas,particularly in innovation. One of the first reasons for the success in innovation is acoherent culture, then there is the competitiveness of neighbouring countries,compliance of regulations, real belief in education and in technology and I believethat the Baltic states make use all of these aspects.I am very proud that Lithuania has worked together with the World Bank to createa World Bank Report which looked at the chances for Lithuania in achieving aknowledge economy, after China, Lithuania was second to have a World BankReport and we see that life-long learning is crucial for a knowledge economy. Wesee the that the innovative system is useful but what we really have to tackle is thequestion of how we can build an Information Society. If we look at the situation inLithuania in terms of its performance of developing a knowledge economy from1995 to 2000 or 2002, we should look at four of the main parameters which areinnovation, education, information infrastructure and economic incentives. On thewhole you can see that the situation has stayed much the same and I think that in53the future the government and industry joined forces which will change thesituation.First we have to improve the co-operation between the business community, thepublic sector and educational institutions. We need to reform and offer support topublic authorities for building a knowledge economy, we need to promoteinnovation and co-operation in an Information Society and we need to tailortraining to the labour market, we need to develop a legal framework as well so thatthere are equal opportunities for business in e-communications and e-transactions.An important aspect is also the dynamics of the number of telephone users as apercentage of the total population, mobile and landline, and in Lithuania we can seea dramatic rise in use of mobile communications up to 2002 and landline figureshave gone down which has to do with the fact that many people are only mobileand don't buy the landlines anymore. This means that if you are collectingmushrooms in the forest you can take your mobile with you which is far moreconvenient.If we look at e-commerce in the year 2002 only 3% of the population in Lithuaniabuy services online so 5% look for information on goods online but shop offline. InLithuania it tends to be used more as a means of communication than as a tool forfinding information.Now let us look at the educational institutions. At the end of 2002 we had fourcomputers per school, but I have to say that half of the computers we found inschools and universities were there for Internet services. And if we look at wherepeople look at the Internet the main place of access was at the workplace in 2002.So 7% access the Internet from their workplace and quite a low number of peopleaccess the Internet from where they study or from their homes, only 5%. And ifyou consider that so few people have computers at their homes, the establishmentof public access to computers is very important, such institutions being publiclibraries, distance learning centres, that are using PHARE 2000 funds and theirdevelopment programmes. These funds provided about 300 PCs with Internetaccess, I think that now we have about 55 public access points and by the end of2003 there will be about 1000 PCs with Internet facilities.Now some figures on E-banking and E-payment. In 2002 the number of users of E-banking grew by five times and by 2003 we think this number will rise even more.The number of payment cards issued has risen a lot and we expect a similardevelopment to continue. But we have seen that there is the phenomenon of illegalsoftware, which accounted for about 53% of total software use in the country in2002 so the level of piracy is very high. The level in Estonia is about the same andin Latvia and in western countries illegal software is about 35%.Let us look at the ICT market in Lithuania, where we can see that the sales of the20 largest Lithuanian ICT companies increased by 17%. Exported Lithuanian ICTdevices exceeded 100 Mio LIT in 2002. About 120 000 computers were sold inLithuania last year which makes it about 60% more than in 2001. The strategicgoals that we are aiming at in Lithuania in information technology is first andforemost to speed up the modernisation of management of public, local andeconomic sectors by relying on these information and communication technologytools. We hope to achieve this by 2015 namely we want to achieve that the54manufacturing and the sales in ITC products, goods and services, should accountfor 20% of the GDP and we want that no less than 50% of these products will beexported.One of the indicators of this is how much public investments we find in InformationSociety projects and I can see there was a growth in 1997 and then there was adrop because of the environmental crises until 2000 and now we see increasedpublic spending on Information Society since the Baltic states have becomeaccession countries. Let us look at public funds for ICT on how they are investedand we can see that most of the money goes into hardware, 59%, and in terms offunding of software we have got 34%, we think that these proportions ought tochange as well.In terms of the structure of administration in achieving a Knowledge Society we seethat these structures are under the President of Lithuania, under the ParliamentaryCommittee for Information Society development and the commission of thegovernment, and we think that all of the ministries should be involved in puttingthe goals in this respect into practice. One of the key prerequisites for achieving aKnowledge Society is a stable legal framework which means we need long-termcommitment on the part of the government in terms of what they want to do andwhat they don't want to do in this area. We have to see them coming up with clearstrategies and there are some draft documents that are being approved by ourgovernment, we think these documents need to be approved and examined inorder to achieve an Information Society.At the end of August at the World Information Technology Forum in Vilnius, whereabout 700 people took part from a vast range of countries we didn't talk so muchabout Information Society but about what we previously spoke about, which is howto use these technologies in the social sphere. We had eight commissions at thisforum which came up with the Vilnius declaration preparing the ground for ICTbuilding, infrastructure, economic opportunities and how to empower the civilsociety and achieve participation, to help the educational, social end ethical aspectsof the Information Society. We think that this is just a new thought that needs tobe used by all parts of the society.And if we look at the post-integration problems of the Baltic states economies, wecan say that one of the problems we will be facing is equal footing in thedevelopment and dissemination of new technologies and we have to be sure thatour countries don't lag behind economically either, that is a large scale issue.Enlargement will be completed by 2010 which means that by that time thedevelopment of large base economic sectors should be achieved. And we need tosay that by 2010 the development toward a knowledge-based society should havemoved from extensive to intensive.Soon the Baltic States accession will be achieved but the time will come when alsoother states will join and the situation will then be different. So we try to work outwhat the recipe of success is for the Baltic states and we can say that it is based onthree main aspects that are business agreements, agreement within the Balticstates on the importance of a knowledge economy and of course public-private co-operation. I will conclude and remind you of something that Bernard Shaw oncesaid: "If I have got an apple and you have an apple we can eat apples together andexchange these apples". This also counts for our ideas: If I have a good idea and55you too and we exchange our ideas we will have twice as many ideas as we hadbefore. I wish you all a productive conference and hope that you use it forexchanging ideas.Bottom-up Strategies to the Knowledge-based Society - Meeting the Futurein the Baltic Sea regionBERND HENNINGSENThe knowledge-based society is the most appropriate term for the society of thefuture. That is so, because neither agriculture nor industry nor services will anylonger determine the wealth of the nations but skills deriving from research andknowledge will. Even though we are today experiencing an overflow of information– information is not the source of creativity, surplus and wealth but it is the tool.Additionally one should say, that the knowledge-based society is no longer thevision of the society of the future, so to speak the community of our grandchildren,but a reality we are experiencing in our everyday life. Knowledge is represented byus and is not a product, not virtual but real, the knowledge-based society is alreadyin existence.The further development of the educational space, of research, of teaching, oflearning and other instruments which will and can improve the innovation andreformation of our society will be successful, if it is not only – as people today mayfeel – a process from above but if it is implemented from the bottom. What doesthis mean?Let me illustrate this strategy with a historical example – a very successfulstrategy, to those, who do have some knowledge to the specific Scandinaviantrademarks related to education and training, this example is well known. TheScandinavian Volkshochschule / Folkhögskola / folk-high-schools founded by theDane N.F.S. Grundtvig in the middle of the 19th century. It was propagated andrealised with the explicit goal of reducing and eliminating vertical disadvantages inthe time of upcoming democracy and parliamentarism: If the farmers, the lowerclass of the pre-modern society, wanted to get into power, they had to catch upwith the educational deficits they had in comparison to their urban and bourgeoisiecounterparts, they had to learn to read, to write and count, but above all they hadto learn how to discuss things in an argumentative manner. The acquisition ofcultural techniques as well as the acquisition of simple economic strategies andmethods belonged to the curriculum of these educational boarding-schools for therural population, but also singing and praying were included – the basis for acultural and political community.The successful application of these skills and techniques presupposed faith in thefundamental changeability of society and state – a concomitant of Grundtvigianism,that was first met by scepticism among the workers' movements, until they in theend adapted the strategy and made it their own as well: Associations and finallyschools for workers education and the 'People's Houses' (Folkets Hus) contributedto a sustainable and peaceful transformation of the Scandinavian societies in the20th century and made them immune towards ideological promises of political massmovements. The folk-high-schools – exported to the whole world – became integralparts of the growing Scandinavian welfare state, were means and tools in one. Thepoorest countries of Europe became the most advantaged and developed countries:democratic, stable, educated, and wealthy.56The example shows that sustainability is a term that is not only to be used in thecontext of ecology and environment but is also profoundly political. It originates inthe political culture of a community. The Scandinavian societies have shown sincethe 19th century, that political sustainability can only be reached on the basis ofcultural tradition and that the techniques of transmission – that is education,research and other cultural inventions – can only be successful within theframework of one's own culture: language, history, the passing on of one's ownpolitical ideas play a crucial role. In other words: cultural sustainability is a matterof practice and education; is to be built up from the bottom.And it is more than a by-product of deeply rooted tradition of the folk-high-schoolsin the political culture of the Scandinavian countries. That is the fact that up untilour days there is a consensus in this part of Europe, that education and research –that means: the basic tools of the knowledge-based society – are not in threat ofbudget cuttings in hard times. In Sweden for example, the welfare measures havebeen cut down, unemployment measures, health insurance, social benefits arelowered – but not education and research. F & D are not given to the disposal ofthe ministers of finance. The result of this traditional consensus is obvious: TheScandinavian countries are the most developed concerning knowledge-based skills– and the overall economic data are better than those of, let's say, Germany.Now, if the concepts of cultural complexity, security and sustainability can beapplied to any human invention, then to the university: in the Mediterranean of theclassical ancient period, universities were founded first in form of libraries andacademies, then in their present form in the high middle ages in southern andcentral Europe, at locations we are all still familiar with. From there they developedto the most influential education centres in the 19th and 20th century and –especially after the Humboldtian turn at the beginning of the 19th century, whenscholarship was discovered as a factor of productivity and a force for socialintegration – they came to be export goods to the eastern and western world.I assume that with the historical role that the university plays for the developmentof our culture and civilisation it will continue to have a main function within theKnowledge Society of the future; it will continue to be the destination for thetransmission of knowledge and education. On the other hand, though, I have mydoubts about the present condition of our universities, as to how it will be possibleto attain this future and fulfil the expectations.It would be inexcusable to underestimate this important regional aspect for thetransformation process in the Baltic Sea region states: the universities and otherinstitutions of higher education will have a decisive position in the adaptation andmodernisation process – be it culturally in the wider sense described previously, orin educational and research policies in the stricter sense. By the way, this is notonly valid for the transformation states but also for the former western countries –they are confronted with new topics, with new forms of socialisation and milieus.With the variety of disputes and questions aroused through the end of the East-West-conflict – cultural, political, economic and environmental – a wide spectrum ofchallenges for university-based research has been introduced.57What would now be the practical advice? We can identify different bottom-upstrategies for the development of the knowledge-based society. Some of them areeasy to implement, others require a lot of work.One strategy could follow the example of the initiatives taken shortly before thecollapse of the socialist regimes for establishing an East-Middle-European Institutefor Advanced Study, which was in fact realised, it would be urgent to think offounding an institution that I preliminarily and in lack of a better term would call"Baltic Sea University". This institution would be a regional Centre of Excellence,whose task would be the political, economic, societal and cultural transformationprocesses of the region, it would have to guarantee the education of a regional eliteto make the region fit for the reality of the Knowledge Society. The Baltic SeaUniversity would be a European endeavour.Another could be the improvement of mobility – and I will come back to that issuelater: With the help of scholarship and mobility grants the region, that was dividedfor forty years, can grow together again; common projects, common study-programs and even common research networks will consolidate the sustainability ofthe development, will create trust and interdependencies, that are of use for all andshould therefore be in everyone's interest – as it used to be in the early modernage.Why should we improve the skills and strategies towards a knowledge-basedsociety especially in this region?Data collected over the last several years point to an economic, social, political andcertainly also cultural development potential in the Baltic Sea region – to a largeextent arising from the enormous need of the former states of the eastern block tocatch up. Leave aside the economic data we can already now take for granted thatour region is on its way to a region marked by considerable indices of research andteaching potentials.The region possesses the necessary characteristics for a global research centre –over 100 universities and research institutes are located here. Nowhere else inEurope there are so many universities and colleges in one region.At the Öresund a medical-technical, biomedical and service-oriented centre is beingestablished (currently with 30,000 jobs in biotechnology alone). There are elevenuniversities with 13,000 students here, plus 10,000 scholars.An above average number of highly educated young people live in the Baltic Searegion; the potentials already developed by information technology in recent yearsare world-class.A Baltic Sea region where good schools, equal and easy access to universities orother institutions of higher education and a mobile and flexible attitude towardsresearch dominate the political decision-making is an ideal scenario. Many of theseaspects being already realised on the northern shores of the Baltic Sea region,there are a lot of desiderata at the southern shores (including Germany!).Education and research has to be made popular and fought for in the nationalbudgets wherever one looks. With the Baltic Sea area we have the case of aninnovative and active region where Knowledge Society could be made a trademarkfor the future development within Europe: The Baltic Sea region could emerge tobecome a 'model Knowledge Society', where education, training and academic lifeare treated as most valuable assets of sustainable development.58A communication from the European Commission entitled 'Towards a Europe ofKnowledge' from 1997 set out the guidelines for the policies which should graduallyimplement the knowledge-based society (KS) from year 2000 onwards within thewhole of Europe. The Commission suggests here, that education, research,innovation and training are the core fields in which new policies should be pursuedfor the emergence of a knowledge-based society. 'Building a Europe of knowledge'is stated to be the essential tool regarding Europe's competitiveness and thecontinuation of sustainable development in the 21st century.The guidelines presented in the communication can be applied to a future 'modelKnowledge Society' called the Baltic Sea region, making the region an 'observatory'for the implementation and development of the necessary measures. This'observatory' could carry out individualised observation, characterisation andclassification of the implementation process and set standards for future actions onthe European arena. Experimenting, modifying and different forms of training in theeducational and academic framework would be high on the agenda of Baltic Sea co-operation and would draw the European eyes towards this region where sustainabledevelopment is not only an empty political term.Within this context, corresponding to the EC communiqué, there are four overallobjectives for the development of the Knowledge Society in the Baltic Sea region tobe identified:1) Increasing the access of the Baltic Sea region citizens to the full range ofeducational resources.2) Innovation in resources.3) Wide dissemination of good practice in education.4) Enhancing regionalism for the purpose of a balanced and sustainabledevelopment and progress.Furthermore the added value of improving the Knowledge Society in the Baltic Searegion is a chance to utilise it as a strategy of region-building and of balanced andsustainable modernisation – as already mentioned.These four objectives should be pursued through increased co-operation:Physical mobility, virtual mobility, promotion of language and cultural skills and thedevelopment of co-operation networks.One of the most obvious actions the Commission points out for improving theKnowledge Society is increasing physical mobility. This concerns in particularmobility and exchange of students and researchers whose role in propagating theknowledge-based society is essential. A number of exchange programmes alreadyexist; however, the CBSS-partners should promote establishing a special charter forthe visiting scholars and research fellows. In particular, payment of grants andsalaries should be organised in a uniform system so that an impression of a unifiedsocial area is born – and a bottom-up identity can grow.As a second step towards increased physical mobility, visas for the researchers andstudents should be free of charge and the waiting time should be reduced to theminimum. As for today a lot of differences and obstacles exist – especially betweenthe citizens of the EU and those of other countries in the region. For instance, in59Germany a compulsory 50 Euro stamp-fee for issuing the residence permit isrequired from the scholars and students from Poland and the Baltic states, while anEU citizen gets the residence permit for free. Another issue in this respect is thevisas which citizens of CEEC must receive before leaving their home country. Thewaiting time should be reduced to the minimum and visas (as long as they have tobe issued) should be granted on the spot. Additionally it should be consideredwhether exchange students and -researchers could be given a 'tax-free-status' forat the minimum of one year while they are staying abroad (white-card-policy). Weneed this (future) elite and should treat it according to its level of high potentiality.The second action suggested by the EC communiqué is promoting virtual mobility.This is to guarantee broad access to communication and information networks. Anecessary initiative in this regard is providing training of skills for using theequipment. Computer literacy is, in general, higher among the younger generation,though unevenly distributed with regard to different areas in the Baltic Sea region.The third means of improving chances for the regional knowledge-based society ispromotion of language skills and the understanding of different cultures. In duecourse knowledge of two or three further languages apart from the native tonguewill be the result of enhanced physical mobility. No better bottom-up strategy is tobe found. Students and scholars staying for a longer period of time in anothercountry of the region and wanting to make full use of the local resources will beforced to learn the local language and to integrate in the local community. It seemsadvisable that a series of language summer schools in all countries of the regionshould be supported as an institutionalised part of the exchange programmes.The fourth action to be expanded and modified in the academic world is building upco-operation networks in order to permit and promote exchange of experience andgood practice. At present this seems to be a problem insofar as the obstacle at themoment is a significant difference in salaries and grants received by the academicsin the EU countries on the one hand, and the Baltic states, Poland and Russia onthe other. In the latter case mostly two or three jobs are necessary for theacademics to have a decent income – which leaves little time to pursue high qualityresearch. An enhanced physical mobility supported by the external means offunding could alleviate this discrepancy. In this regard it seems also relevant toestablish, support and particularly promote pan-regional centres of excellence.In the future it could be feasible to join these efforts and establish both a virtualand a real educational and research Baltic Sea Centre of Excellence. By definitionthis institution should be less dependent on the national educational and researchpriorities of the regional actors and promote a pan-regional view. This idea followsthe suggestion above, making the Baltic Sea region to an 'observatory' for theimplementation of the knowledge-based society. In an institution made out ofbricks and mortar the process could be guided, monitored and vitalised as to provethe true determination of the political actors to create a regional model casescenario for an enlarging Europe.We all know which role universities play for the economic development of regions,Sverker Sörlin has voiced his view extensively on that issue1, the detailed studieson this question are innumerable: universities are economic factors and they are1Sörlin, Sverker: Universiteter som drivkrafter. Globaliseringen, kunskapspolitik och den nyaintellektuella geografin. Stockholm 1996.60motors of regional development with decisive importance- in regard to the economyespecially for the reason that they are normally the biggest employer for a town ora region. Therefore most of the universities founded in the seventies wereinfluenced by regional considerations, in Bamberg as well as in Umeå.It would be inexcusable to underestimate this important regional aspect for thetransformation process in the Baltic Sea region states: The universities and otherinstitutions of higher education will have a decisive position in the adaptation andmodernisation process – be it culturally in the wider sense described previously, orin educational and research policies in the stricter sense. By the way, this is notonly valid for the transformation states but also for the former western countries –they are confronted with new topics, with new forms of socialisation and milieus.With the variety of disputes and questions aroused through the end of the east-west-conflict – cultural, political, economic and environmental – a wide spectrum ofchallenges for university-based research has been introduced.The Baltic Sea region is predestined for sustainable bottom-up strategies: Hardlyany other region has such a diverse and substantial flora of political, economic,academic, cultural and societal co-operation, governmental and non-governmental,to show as the our region. City and university partnerships are the least amongthem. On the one hand they make it difficult for politics to develop conceptualstrategies in their field of work and to implement policies; on the other hand onecould say that there is no need for clear political concepts just because of theblossoming flora of NGOs (Note: such a variety of co-operation below the central,state guided level does not exist in the Mediterranean region!).When the different activities which are now being initiated or have been establishedalready by scholars, universities and other academic institutions all around theBaltic Sea, or those that are in a planning phase, will have come to full life andexpand – as I assume – then the Baltic Sea region will not only be a real 'laboratoryof modernity' in regard to economy and politics, but will also be an outstandingscholarly region that can measure up to the global competition. That Stockholm andHelsinki are the IT-capitals of today, that the Öresund region is an outstandingcompetence-centre for medicine and medical technology, that the scholarshipagglomeration in and around Berlin has become a strong regional and trans-regional magnet, does not only show the potential of the region, but can also showthe transition countries, which potential they have at stake, which possibilities theyhave and where the future development is going to, where it can go.With the help of scholarships the region that was divided for forty years can growtogether again; common projects, common study-programs and even commonresearch networks will consolidate the sustainability of the development, will createtrust and interdependencies, that are of use for all and should therefore be ineveryone's interest – as it used to be in the early modern age. Thank you for yourattention.State policy of the Russian Federation in Information and CommunicationTechnologiesANDREY KOROTKOVI love the Russian language, but bearing in mind that even our hosts chose tospeak in this vulgar Latin of the 21st century allow me to speak English. I have the61great pleasure to convey to you on behalf of the Ministry of Communication andInformation Technologies of the Russian Federation the best wishes and asuccessful conference.I would like to start my short presentation with some explanations. I tried to givemy presentation a name and the name was 'Beyond the Cyber Revolution – thestate policy of the Russian Federation in Information and CommunicationTechnologies'. What does that mean, beyond the cyber revolution? I think it is hightime to speak about the cyber revolution and how it is connected to thedevelopment of the Information Society. The evolution of silicon objects movesmuch faster than the evolution of biological ones. We can see the penetration ofbiological objects into the microchips, the DNA molecules invented by nature. At thesame time biological objects are already loading some microchips. Quite franklywhen I am contacting my junior I feel that I really need updating.To create a kind of a policy in ICT is a demanding task. In the 19th century thetechnologies changed every forty years, in the 20th century every forty months. Inthe very beginning of the 21st century every forty weeks. May I ask you whetheryou have ever read the manuals for your gadgets from the very beginning to theend? The only thing we know is, that we know nothing about the future of the newtechnologies. But we have the knowledge of the history of science and we have theexperience of creating huge and unfortunately very expensive projects.But we are all that many people and in Russia we have 150 million pairs of eyeslooking at your and our steps in creating the Information Society. The mostimportant lesson of this information was manifested in five key points. TheInformation Society can not exist without: 1) electricity, 2) the infrastructure forthe network, 3) terminals for telecommunication 4) services, 5) skilled people. ThePresident of the Russian Federation emphasised the importance of developingdomestic information technology industry on many occasions and it was reflected inthe strategy of social and economic development for Russia after 2010 and themedium-term programme between 2003-2005.The development of the Information Society is a priority area for Russia. Weconsider that to be the means for ensuring Russia's entrance into the world of theinformation environment, being a tool for a wide range of problems and tasksarising in science, education, health care and social skills. The programme for theyears 2002-2010 approved by the government of the Russian Federation in January2002 has become one of the fundamental documents determining the mainmeasures for introducing information technology in Russia. Although theprogramme was adopted a little earlier than one year ago, the first results of theimplementation are already available. Socially important projects are being put intolife such as telemedicine networks which are operating in 40 regions of the country.It is very complicated and at the same time very important for Russia. Becausewhen Europe is speaking about the problems of the last months, we are speaking ofthe problems of the last 500 months.The conception of the development of such kind of services is to connect all healthinstitutions throughout the country to telemedicine networks. Automatic systemsfor the population register are successfully developed. A standard register for eachregional subsistent is almost ready. This year the operation of these systems will bestarted in Moscow and Jaroslavl regions in the cities of Moscow and St. Petersburg62and the Hantij Mansisk autonomous area in the north of the country as well as inthe Kaliningrad region. A lot of effort is put into installing electronic systems for abig part of the activities of the State Duma and the Legislative Bodies of thesubjects of the Russian Federation.Some methods were developed to design efficient technological informationnetworks. And of course high educational institutions were connected to the basictelecommunication networks. Let me use an example of using ICT in the Europeanand Central Asian region. In 33 subjects of the Russian Federation we installed theso called 'cyber hosts project'. Internet access was provided by the Federal PostalServices. On the whole about 2600 community access points are in operation, now800 of them in rural areas. Over 2,5 million people use these services. Theimplementation of cyber press projects was started in order to make electronicversions of central newspapers accessible to remote regions of the country.According to the forecast of experts high growth rates of information technologywill be reality in the future, the total volume of the information andtelecommunication market should increase more than 1,5 times within four years.This is a very good rate not only for Russia but also according to the worldstandards. Besides, the main portion of the growth will fall on the regions and thisis very important because the significant divide in the development of levels of thesubjects of the Russian Federation according to this indicator is not desirable fromthe economic or the social point of view. I should say that more than 50.000Russian villages do not have a phone. So the observed tendencies can only makeus happy.Firstly the high growth rates in the ICT markets have caused steady demands forthese products from Russian Companies. Secondly, maybe even more important,we are acquiring competitiveness on a high professional level by Russianspecialists. The scientific potential that is available allows us to implementinteresting science projects for the ICT area. The Russian ICT export will increasethree times by the year 2005 in comparison to 2001. Nevertheless we haveconsiderable possibilities to achieve these goals. The matter depends on creatingmechanisms to create the stimulation of the realisation through available potentialwith this aim in view.I would like to say some words about the Kaliningrad Region. We have signed theimportant papers with the administration concerning the development ofcommunication and information in Kaliningrad this year. Due to the geo-politicallocalisation Kaliningrad occupies a special place in relation to Russia and acceleratesthe development of ICT infrastructure. In our opinion it seems to be one of thepriority areas making it possible to resolve issues ensuring the ability of the region.The signed agreement helps us to create the regional state population registercontacting joint efforts to build the territorial information system. And we havealready had negotiations about this with the Republic of Lithuania to make theequal steps for this vision. It will give us good opportunities in this region and it willattract ICT representatives from all regional countries.Speaking generally about the implementation of the programme, it will certainlygive priority to the governmental bodies: among this are for exampleadministrative reforms, civil service reforms, budgetary reforms and educational63reforms. These are the points of departure to determine the main efforts whichshould be concentrated upon within the framework of eRussia.Dear participants, humanity is going through another periodical phase of big socialdevelopment. Now we are on the verge of constructing a society of a new type, asociety in which state boundaries are becoming merely a visual line on the map. Itcould be a kind of society where people, goods, money and knowledge would reallycirculate around transparent state boundaries. It could be a kind of society whereintellectual power could combat such dreadful diseases such as AIDS, Tuberculosisand Malaria and where knowledge could also fight starvation, poverty and wars. Ican only dream about such a society because life does not work according to suchstereotypical patterns even if they are nice ones.The UN millennium summit developed quite a good goal for all of us to reduce thepoverty indicator by 2015 by half. Three years have passed, have we made greatprogress in this respect? The World Bank, Private Funds and Public Organisationsspend a lot of money to bridge the digital divide. But what is the digital dividereally? According to the UNESCO, more than 50 countries turned poorer than theywere before 1990. What should be done to transform the Information Society to asociety that is not only for selected members? Are we able to stop the race forconsumption? What steps could be taken so that the Knowledge Society could makesteps towards those who really need prosperity and assistance. It is my hope thatthis could be some result of discussions here and it could help us on the road toconstructing the Information Society and the knowledge-based economy.The development of technological and economic spheres in advanced regionsgenerates experience in the fields of education, investment, scientific research,success for subcontractors, and all of this in a positive spirit. Our neighbours in thenorthern countries have created telecommunication networks and local computercentres, modern work stations equipped with Internet and telecommunications. Welearn from each other. In the Russian programme that was adopted and it is beingimplemented. We have established access points in libraries, schools and postoffices. Are we looking for a secure and sustainable world for us and our kids? Yeswe are. You will find a strong support from the Russian government in this issue.BRIEF COMMENTSDOROTHEE STAPELFELDTI would like to speak about the Knowledge Society. But first I want to mention, thatthe Baltic Sea region is of strategic importance for Hamburg. The BSR is the mostpromising region in Europe and it is a region of knowledge and knowledge transfer.The success of the Baltic Sea story is its bottom up approach. The main impact andthe strength of the co-operation stems from the activities of the people here,professors, scientists and students. In the education sector various bi-lateral andmultilateral and various project networks give a continuous impact to the furtherdevelopment of contacts of the people of our Baltic Sea region.Let me give you some examples of existing co-operation projects with Hamburg tounderline that education is an important issue in the Baltic Sea region and also inthe City of Hamburg. The exchange of students and scientists has increasedconsiderably in the last years. A German and Baltic university exchange conference64took place last year between Germany, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania in Bonn in May2002 with the participation of the Hamburg universities concluding that there is anincreased interest in this exchange.The six public universities maintain 22 partnerships with universities of the BalticSea region and furthermore Hamburg universities have already traditionally beeninvolved in co-operation within the region. The regional main emphasis is theÖresund Region with manifold and partly very intense contacts between theuniversities of Hamburg, Copenhagen and Lund. The co-operation reaches out tocommon study programmes as in cultural management between the University ofHamburg and the Latvian University in Riga.As a good example for EU-projects, the high-quality tourism project wasimplemented between 1999-2001 under German auspices with four Baltic Searesident state partners. High-quality tourism is tied towards long-lasting tourismstrategies with the protectorates Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, southern Sweden,Poland and Latvian. The project was scientifically accompanied by the University ofHamburg, department of economic geography as a think-tank and was sosuccessful that the successor High-Quality Tourism II project, also accompanied byHamburg, has already been started.I would also like to mention the Baltic Environmental Information DisseminationSystem as another example. Discussions on education policies have achieved a newclimax since the PISA study and all eyes are looking at Finland and Sweden. Pupiland teacher exchanges have already been a part of Baltic Sea co-operation for avery long time. Approximately 30 school partnerships exist between Hamburg andits partner city St. Petersburg. Hamburg also has two dozens of school partnershipsconnecting into Poland. And to mention the last project, the Baltic Sea region as aregion of culture and civilisation with partnerships in Denmark and Poland. I wouldlike to underscore that with our resolution the Baltic Sea region has very goodchances of becoming a pilot region for the knowledge-based society.EKKEHARD KLUGI have some critical remarks on the text of our resolution, especially to those of usreferring to a knowledge-based society in the Baltic Sea region. I agree with thedraft version of the resolution, but in my opinion we should not reduce the outputof our conference to general declarations without a clear demand for specificprogrammes which we conceive as necessary.Our parliaments should demand from regional and national governmentscomprehensive information about projects concerning the promotion of languageskills and the improvement of cross-border mobility of students, scholars and pupilsas well as the establishment of jointly operating scientific networks and culturalactivities of special importance for the whole Baltic Sea region.Reports and proposals in this direction should be discussed in detail in ourparliaments at home as well as in future Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conferences.Better co-operation in science and culture is of special importance for the Baltic SeaRegion and we have to make sure that real progress will be achieved in the yearsahead.65ARJA ALHOI have some short comments concerning the presentation we just heard. I wantyou all to remember that two out of three human beings alive today have nevermade a telephone call. Therefore it is very important that we count how manycomputers we have, but in a global context this is quite inadequate.Nevertheless I agree that it is very important to scrutinise the opportunities in newtechnology and promote sustainable growth of societies and I find thesepresentations in that sense very excellent.My first point is, already underlined by Mr. Henningsen, that technology is alwaysinstrumental, it is a tool. The second point is on how to govern the World Wide Weband the answer is unfortunately a very sad one because it is not possible, since inthis case the public sphere of the digital age is commercial. The ownership ofnetwork technology is private, it is only moderately regulated and it is accumulatedand commercial. It is also not a domain of freedom and brotherhood because theseglobal conglomerates are mastering the WWW. As someone has put it, which I findvery excellent, the problem is, you cannot have less government interference andless Gates at the same time.However, I find that there are also many benefits that we gain from new technologyand it can promote democracy in our societies also on the local levels when I thinkabout the services organised by the communities on how to get more feedbackfrom their patients or customers to develop these services. But I find that thepublic sphere, vital for democracy is not a sphere for buying and selling but ofargumentation and critical debate. For citizens I find it is essential to think abouthow to guarantee free access to this sphere and how to guarantee quality ofdiscourse.So what is the message? The knowledge-based society is a challenge for thepolitical system on how to govern the possibilities of how to give legitimacy to ourdemocratic societies, therefore I think it is always important to have a dimension ofdemocratic decision-making and power-exercising when we are discussing aboutthe knowledge-based society.THIRD SESSIONKnowledge-based society and its impact on thelabour market in the Baltic Sea regionCo-operation between science and industryMARIE EHRLINGTeliaSonera is the leading telecommunications operator in the Nordic Countries andthe Baltic Sea area. We have about 80 million customers and a turnover of 81billion SEK with 29.000 employees. We have great competence in regard toresources and experience to meet the most demanding customers of this region inthe future, since we are very IT intensive and technologically oriented. TeliaSonerais a company today in full competition, our home market is concentrated on theNordic countries and the Baltic Sea Region. We like to grow in this area. We are66whole or partial owners of companies in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Russia, theseare all growth markets in our sector.Knowledge, innovation and development and industrial activity are preconditions foreach other. Only a lively industry with sustained growth can fully ensure thedevelopment of knowledge and welfare in the country. The business side is thebasis for activity. Small companies and big companies are dependent on eachother. Competition creates the preconditions for innovation and the will to invest indevelopment. The countries with the best growth policy have the greatest growthprospects, be it with small or big companies. The biggest force for a company ispeople with ideas.There are two ways to get at these ideas: 1) Alliances and partnerships with actorswho have business ideas which can support one's own ideas and to realise this ideatogether without competing with each other with the help of innovation andcompetence, this means taking risks. If this doesn't succeed this means that itmight be closed down but if one does succeed this means it can lead to profitswhich can be invested in new products. This often leads to sustainabledevelopment.2) The other way is to realise ones ideas via subsidies and aids, this is notsustainable. And history supports this idea. Strong companies like Ericsson andNokia have created development ideas for Finland and Sweden in the 20th centurythese companies developed their strengths and created the basis for growth,innovation and development.Ericsson entered the telecommunication branch by collaborating with the StockholmTelephone company in the 1910s, and developed co-operation with telecomoperators all over the world. Nokia grew from the forest industry and only enteredthe telecom industry in recent times. First it co-operated with Finnish operators andthen expanded to the whole world. Characteristic for this was the will to worktogether with researchers and educational system which gave them thecompetence and the operators which brought innovations to their customers.Setting up an infrastructure and telephone networks takes a lot of time and moneyto become profitable and the setting up stage is difficult to price. The actors thatare setting up an infrastructure need stable rules and need to be able to get in themoney that is needed to make profits. State owned telephone companies havebeen alone over the last 80 years and an activity which has been alone on themarket for a very long time can also put a break on innovation.With the help of legislation which creates the basis for profitability of competition,the right incentives for the playing field can be given. There is a risk of innovationbeing pampered. The EU has now a common legislation regardingtelecommunication. This is good and will hopefully lead to normal competition ruleseliminating those rules that have acted as a brake for development. There still isthough the risk that there will be different rules in different countries, so that thosecountries that can have normal competition laws as quickly as possible will be ableto create new and genuine innovation and sustainable development.Research and development will be directed towards areas that are the best for eachcountry. Sustained growth is created in co-operation with science, research andcompanies often in co-operation with smaller and large companies so that we can67have a good innovation climate, which is stimulating for large companies. Growthmeans that both small and big companies exist on the market and that theydevelop relations with each other, with research and with the education system.The current set of rules tends to favour small companies before large companies.The co-operation that has been set up between small and big companies hasalways led to sustained growth and now globalisation has driven this development,which means that a big company grows beyond its borders and makesrequirements to their educational institutions. Nokia and Ericsson are a goodexample between politics, education and sustainable growth and there are othersectors for example the pharmaceutical sector where there has been similar co-operation. This means that politics can support these processes with successfuleducational policy and that again helps growth.It is not enough that the educational system is world class it is also necessary thatthere is a educational system which is required by the companies otherwise there isa risk that educational institutions and companies are going into differentdirections. For innovation it is also important for various countries to stimulate bigcompanies to set up research centres in their framework. Big American companiessuch as IBM and Microsoft have done that in Ireland, which has definitely been anadvantage for the development of Ireland.This is in tight connection to a countries' expansive growth policy. The realisation ofgrowth can not be achieved by small companies alone. The rolling back of rules inthe telecom market is genuine, very often rules are interpreted very differently indifferent countries. Now the markets are going together and all rules are now goingto interfere in a companies' soul. Rules can be necessary but over-regulation leadsto a distortion of the market and this can mean that investments becomeunattractive.One example is the '3G Networks' which are built up in many countries. Since thefrequencies are different the licenses have been issued under different criteria andthis happened at the peak of the market. But this has shown to be a false hopebecause the market and the technology haven't developed as expected. It is betterto set things up on the basis of needs and demands and not according to generalplans. The development of mobile telecommunication in the Nordic countriesstarted on a small scale and on the basis of the operations and the industry, whichhas led to the situation that we have now. I believe that '3G networks' should bebased on the demand and the demand for rapid development has led todissatisfaction.A similar example is the Internet and broadband access based on the demand andnot on a plan. I have run through several areas and am convinced that goodbusiness ideas and competition on the playing fields are the basis of innovation. Bigcompanies are also important for growth and stability they must also get incentivesin the educational and growth policies. In our countries all interference with rulescreates insecurity and lowers the willingness to invest.Those countries with the best growth policy based on their values and theirwillingness will attract the biggest growth forces. This will lead to more investmentin schools and educational systems. Many factors will effect this. Co-operationwithin the EU but also co-operation with neighbouring countries with common68values and history. A common currency will support this and it is my hope that thereferendum that will take place on Sunday in Sweden, will show that there is a clearwill in our country to take an active and positive role in European development. Butthe best way for Sweden to do this is to become part of the European currency.The company I represent, TeliaSonera, operates in a sector with full and equalcompetition and this will give us the preconditions to continue and to contribute tothe sector and the societies at whole. We are dependent on co-operation with high-schools and universities. We are looking forward to a policy which creates the pre-condition for development, the most important basis for sustained growth. Vital bigcompanies play an important role in this process.Labour market in the Baltic Sea region – future perspectivesKRZYSZTOF KRYSTOWSKIPoland participates in a programme concerning labour market within the CBSS. Ourinitiatives have been particularly valued for occupationally activating unemployedand creating alternative jobs as well as supporting protection of the environment.These initiatives have gained the support of our partners in the region, which givesus a chance to pursue new projects in the future.The social development of the Baltic Sea region and the policy on the labour marketshould be seen today within the context of the European Economic Area and theEuropean Union.In spite of epoch-making discoveries and the rapid social development of theindustrial era, it was never achieved that all societies developed at the same rateand achieved the same benefits from that development. The assumption, thereforethat we all shall achieve that same level of implementation and benefits of theinformation technology some day is an ambitious challenge but also an unattainablemirage.I do not negate the impact of information technologies on job creation and the needfor a thorough approach to building economic advantage through participation andwinning the competition in this field by European societies. This is obvious when wedeal with global economy. I have however, some remarks to make about how thesocial policy should behave and what it should have in mind.Being a minister responsible for the labour market, I look at the problem frommany points of view simultaneously and I have to monitor many aspects ofdevelopment not only economic, to which refers first of all the idea of InformationSociety.Being the one whose task it is to take care that the employed did not lose their jobsand the unemployed regained them, I cannot overlook the danger of social strataemerging, resulting from newest technologies that are understandable to anarrowing group of users and differences between regions and countries do notdisappear.69Therefore we deal:-With an irresistible avalanche of new technologies causing slightly less problemsfor those who know their earlier version and grave problems for those who usethem for the first time,-A multicultural and never fully technologically educated society,-A thin layer of specialists and fans understanding these developments.-A slightly thicker layer of those taught to use a few (definite) technologies,-The remaining members of the society who react selectively and unpredictably tonew proposals of changes.These facts will exert an important and rather negative impact on attempts of localand national labour markets to balance the demand and supply of qualifications andto complement the active labour force with an intense exchange on an internationalscale. It is only a matter of time when we come to the conclusion that possibilitiesof head hunting are equally restricted in time and space just like other methods offulfilling this gap.I see a solution to the problem in a general programme international in nature andregional in impact aimed at a harmonised development of a "common" labourmarket of Baltic Sea countries. The programme should be partly educational andpartly supporting individual effort and stimulating development of the awarenessabout the unavoidable change and the need to accept it. It seems that we can talkabout certain features of the market and its position causing that our co-operationin its harmonisation should be strengthened. This co-operation conducted accordingto the European Economic Strategy and European Employment Strategy will exert asignificant impact on development of competitiveness and productivity of the wholeEuropean Economic Area.Opening national labour markets of the region to certain specific professions and tocertain groups of employees coming from countries in accession is absolutely surein spite of negative reactions of some politicians declaring their support forrestrictions and transitional periods.The decision on opening the market will be enforced by the increasing demand forcertain professions related to demographic and social processes and to the need tofill gaps in employment in certain professions, sectors or specialisation.I suggest, therefore that we should consider whether our close neighbourhood onthe Baltic Sea should be used to create a mini zone of equalising basic differencesin social development, and what follows, on the labour market.Such a programme could be composed of many modules prepared for individualgroups of beneficiaries selected not for their age or education but for their personalcharacteristics enabling them or making it difficult for them to find their place inInformation Society. It should cover the whole society starting from kindergarten tooldest members of the society. That would evoke a strengthened impact based onthe feedback effect of teachers to children, from children to parents, from parentsto employers, etc.It is for us to decide whether human resources of the region will be dispersed or ifwe shall try to keep them in the region and determine their role in the future.I personally think that it's in the field of environmental protection that we shouldexpect intensification of co-operation on the regional labour market. The creation of70"green jobs" represents a unique marriage of the wealth of the natural environmentand the needs of the labour market. What I have in mind is employment onenvironmentally friendly farms, in waste recycling, production of clean energy,agro-tourism, construction of local infrastructure, etc. Over 4 million people areemployed in sectors related to environmental protection in the European Union.According to forecasts, the renewable energy sources sector alone (sun- and wind-driven power plants) will generate about a half a million new jobs by 2010.Poland has a large role to play in this region, especially in the area of broadlyconceived social policy. Thanks to the experience we have acquired in transplantingwestern solutions in the course of systemic transformation as well as ourknowledge of the realities of eastern and central Europe, our country can largelycontribute to build co-operation between our eastern neighbours and the unitedEurope.Over the last several years, thanks to the support of our Danish and Germanpartners, Polish experts have been able to provide advisory assistance toinstitutions supervising the labour market in the Kaliningrad Region.The labour market in the Baltic Sea region is highly differentiated. This stems fromdifferent employment policies and strategies which take into account differentmacro-economic, educational and demographic factors. In addition tounemployment, which affects over 180 million people around the world (accordingto MOP statistics), some countries in the Baltic Sea region are suffering from labourshortages in certain sectors of the economy. This process could intensify due to theageing of the population. In fact, this phenomenon has become a world-wideproblem. It has generated a need to formulate appropriate strategies, on theinternational as well as domestic levels.The problem of ageing population mainly affects Europe and North America. This iswhy the matter of ageing populations has been included in the European SocialAgenda. Under the European Economic Commission, the UN has undertaken thetask of developing a regional strategy, adapted to the specific conditions of Europe,for implementing the International Action Plan on Ageing adopted in Madrid in2002.Over the two decades the ageing of the Polish population has proceeded relativelyslowly: at the beginning of the 1980s over 13% of the Polish population was age 60or older, by the year 2000 this figure had risen to 16%. But in 30 years some 26%of Poles will be over the age of 60. The process of occupational de-activation ofolder and even middle-aged people has proceeded much more dynamically. In1980, retirees and pensioners accounted for 18% of the country's adult population.Currently, every third adult has retired or is living on a pension.The introduction of flexible and gradual transition to retirement and the creation ofbetter opportunities for lifelong learning and training can extend the length of timeolder people remain on the labour market. Labour shortages on certain markets canbe solved by means of temporary emigration. A serious obstacle, however, could bethe mobility of the potential emigrants, which is often limited by subjective factorsas well as the housing market, transport infrastructure and climatic factors.Moreover, migration cannot solve the problem of labour shortages if they occurthroughout the united market. This is why it's important to increase the efficacy ofthe economy by shifting production in the direction of goods and services that use a71high level of technology and investments in human resources. Taking into accountthe above mentioned problems, the Polish government implemented a programme"Entrepreneurship-Development-Labour", an important part of which is aprogramme for labour activation of graduates entitled "First Job". This programmewill embrace more than 100 thousand graduates of secondary schools.In analysing the labour market of the Baltic Sea region we cannot overlook thephenomenon of social marginalisation, a problem which – owing to its ubiquity – isnow being addressed by concrete programs at the European level.One of them is the Community Action Programme to Fight Social Exclusion, whichwas adopted by the Council of the European Union in March 2000 as an element ofthe so-called Lisbon Strategy.The goal of the programme is to strengthen co-operation between membercountries and improve the efficacy of efforts to combat social exclusion by, amongother means, specifying common indicators, exchanging information on theprogress of programs implemented, supporting institutions engaged in fightingpoverty and social exclusion and facilitating dialogue on the national and regionallevels. Responding to the appeal of the European Council at Gothenburg in June2001, Poland, as a candidate country, prepared the Joint Memorandum on Socialinclusion.In the course of negotiating Poland's membership in the European Union, muchcontroversy has been generated by issues related to the free flow of labour. This isborne out by the numerous reports, assessments and forecasts as well as polemicsand discussions among the citizenry of Poland as well as EU member states. As isgenerally known, the main difference of opinion in this issue is the lack ofagreement concerning the real effects for the EU of the free flow of new memberstates' citizens.The thesis accepted in a majority of materials published outside Poland that massmigration from the candidate countries would destabilise labour markets in thecurrent 15 EU member states, is not justified in the light of scientific research madeby demographers. Some member states like for example Great Britain, Ireland,Holland, Denmark and Sweden, have decided to open their labour markets uponenlargement of the EU, which will take part on May 1st 2004.We are convinced that the free flow of workers can result in desirable changes onthe labour market for both sides. By removing these limitations, current memberstates will be able to take advantage of cheaper (though necessary for economicgrowth) labour power which is needed to perform work that, for various reasons,the local populace is not willing to do. Different benefits can be derived from themigration of highly qualified workers in occupations experiencing shortfalls which, ifnot addressed, will make it very difficult for modern economies to function. Anotherimportant consideration is the fact that labour resources will be allocated betterwithin the EU as a result of migration.Furthermore, the financial transfers that will result from labour migration willremain within the Union, thereby contributing to an improvement in the averagestandard of living and growth in competitiveness throughout the entire economy ofthe EU.72Differences in incomes between the candidate countries and the current 15members of the EU will remain for a long time after reunification. But thisdisproportion will be gradually reduced. This means that the number of peopleleaving the new member countries in search of employment in the current memberstates will decline regardless of current estimates of the scope of this phenomenon.On the other side, current EU countries will be forced by the generation changes ontheir labour markets to reconsider their own immigration policies. Owing to theinsufficient flexibility of the EU labour market, current member states will be forced- if they wish to maintain economic growth and, more importantly, keep their socialsecurity systems solvent – to fill the gaps in the local labour force with workers whocome from less affluent countries. This situation already exists.We should not overlook another, non-economic aspect related to the flow of peoplebetween countries. Expectations concerning this freedom are strongly shaped in thecontext of a feeling of freedom and justice, which is much stronger in this spherethan the other three basic freedoms guaranteed by the European Union. After all,freedom of movement, freedom to choose where one lives concerns people and nottheir products, services or capital. The Polish people who have painfullyexperienced restrictions on their freedom in the not-so-distant past, largelyunderstand the rights that are to be granted to them under the EU in terms of theirfreedom to work where they choose to.Migration policy in Russia and its impact on the labour marketIGOR UNASHAt the beginning of my talk I want to inform you a little bit about the labour marketin Russia and the steps the government is taking in this respect. The situation onthe labour market of the Russian Federation in the course of 2002 is very muchinfluenced by a positive dynamism in the micro-economic system. The number ofpopulation active in the economy increased, the question of unemploymentimproved which is particularly important for us because in the 1990s the GDP inRussia declined drastically and in connection with this the average number ofemployment was 9,1 million people and the fact that so many of these workerswere overqualified for the jobs they were in, meant that there is room forimprovement here.In addition there were about 100,000 highly qualified people working abroad andthe greatest loss was highly qualified specialists working in industry, construction,agriculture and transport. A very important problem is people working in Siberiaand northern parts of Russia. It seems that Russia is facing a disaster here, and itwould have been a disaster earlier if it not were for migration.In the period under review the CIS and Baltic states generally had around 10million immigrants which formerly were active parts of the labour market. Thesewere highly qualified people. For the first time in many years we found that wewere relying on migrants and immigrants to cover our deficits on the labour marketespecially in regard to agriculture. And the immigrants basically had a higherproportion of people who could work in the labour market, namely 71% comparedto 60%. In addition to this we could say that around this period there is a drop inthe number of migrants to Russia so if in 1994 there were 904,600 people in 2001it was only a 123,700 under these conditions73Russia was beginning to rely increasingly on foreign workers. So the migrationoffice in 2002 registered 359,000 foreign workers and there were about 3-5 millionpeople who came to work temporarily in Russia. So for Russia like for many othercountries illegal immigration is an important issue. There is a lot of foreign workersparticularly from China, Korea and other places as well. Legalising these people andcreating a proper situation for them is a difficult thing. The main area is transport,where about half of the foreign workers work, many of these work in bad situationsin which the local population doesn't wish to work at all.There is around 2% of people from places that we used to call abroad during Soviettimes, these are mainly managers, they are highly qualified and work in the area ofbusiness, teach foreign languages or work in services.The situation on the labour market of the north-west part of Russia is also verymuch defined by the situation of the northern countries of the EU. We can say thatthe movement of workers between the countries of the Baltic Sea and the north-western part of Russia is perhaps not so significant in terms of numbers. We have acertain amount of Finnish workers as well, these are mainly working for the lumberand pulp mills etc. We have both Finnish and Russian organised workers. We cansay that the number of foreign workers in north-west Russia is not so huge, inCarelia for example there are about 1389 people and in Murmansk 1016 foreignworkers of which 23 are Norwegian and 14 are Finns. The migration office of Russiaregistered 180 million workers from the EU and the Baltic states.Regarding foreign workers compared to Russians working abroad there is noorganisation that looks after our workers abroad, they tend to work in the BalticSea states but there is no systematic care of these workers. The main reasons forthis is that Russians tend to not work in their fields of speciality but to go as helpersin agriculture and harvesting for example. In 1997 in Carelia there was work foryoung people between 18 and 25 collecting berries in Finland. As result of the co-operation between the two countries more than 2000 students have had theopportunity to go to Finland to work there temporarily.In the Leningrad area for example there were 1839 who came from the EU to workin Russia. The co-operation between the north-west of Russia, the RussianFederation and other Baltic Sea states is increasing.I can say if we had visa-free travel between the EU and Russia this would improvethe situation and this is why the Russian delegation has insisted on visa-free travelhere and elsewhere. The Baltic Sea states could be pioneers in visa-free travel. Itwould certainly ease the situation if we were to recognise each others diplomas andcertificates as well.Our countries are very different but I think that one of the most important aspectsof our work has to be an improvement of the information exchange. What we needis some kind of electronic database on vacancies of our labour markets. I think ifwe had such a database we could really help each other in terms of labourshortages. And we need to increase co-operation on all levels in the Baltic Searegion.In consideration of the pace of the world economy it is extremely important forRussia to take a place in the world economy. And the migration policy of Russia is74crucial for this process to take place properly. The draft concept was recentlypassed by the Russian Federation it was approved in March 2003 and it is looking atthe question of migration. The aim of the state regulation is to secure stable social,economic and demographic developments in the countries involved in the Russianeconomy, mostly those involved in trading. But also looking at important aspects ofthe Russian economy such as resources and movement of population on theterritory of the country using and harnessing the intellectual potential of our labourmarket and many other goals.It is extremely important as well to take care of foreign workers that are living inRussia. The government regulation of the immigrant labour force in Russia is one ofthe most important aspects of this regulation, convening to monitor and control thislabour force flow. As it has a huge impact on the labour market in Russia and theneighbouring areas.It is also important to renew, and to develop the mechanism of the state regulationof this issue. It is important to come up with a good legal basis and this is acomplicated, difficult task since Russia has not yet solved the problem of creating acomprehensive immigration legislation, an effective system of state control of themovement of people within its country. And we also have to deal with the problemof people coming to Russia to work as well as Russians going outside of the countryto work. We need to have a differentiated immigration policy that looks at thecategories of foreign workers, there needs to be responsibility as well towardsforeign workers within Russia and we need to ensure that foreign workers withinthe country are properly protected.We also need to ease the difficulties that we currently find concerning visas,particularly for people coming to Russia in order to invest or going out of thecountry to invest. And we need to help the situation that investors keep personnelin companies, foreign companies, and all of this has to take place in accordancewith the Russian accession to the WTO. We also need to increase the possibilities ofmutual qualification of our labour forces and foreign labour forces.One of the problems is illegal immigration to Russia and this has a huge impact onmigration in relation to the labour force. We need to ensure that we have anappropriate control over people that are coming into and leaving Russia, so that wedo not have too much illegal immigration. There need to be appropriate sanctionsfor companies employing illegal workers and we need to ensure that those who hireillegal workers are properly punished. It would help combating illegal immigration ifwe could come up with a database. And we have to make sure that we punish thosepeople who systematically break the law in this respect.The movement of illegal migrants from Russia into the Baltic Sea states is also aserious problem. This is why we have a series of agreements that we have madewith a number of states to ensure to prevent this and we think that coming up witha strategy to combat illegal immigration is very important. We need to increase ourwork in this area. In conclusion I would like to say that immigration policy in Russiais crucial. We need to respond flexibly and quickly before there is some kind ofnegative impact on the situation because we want Russia to take its place in theinternational community.75Demographic situation and influence of education and competence oneconomic growthTOIVO ROOSIMAANow we are in Oulu and we have seen how necessary and useful co-operationbetween the countries in the Baltic Sea is. We need this co-operation betweenvarious states, state bodies and various institutions and national groups.I represent a co-operation body of Baltic Sea Trade Unions or rather a network. Itwas set up officially four years ago but there has been various types of co-operationbetween Baltic Sea Trade Unions from the beginning of the 1990s. The networkincludes the organisations of salaried employees from all the Baltic Sea countriesand we have only over 20 million in our various organisations. The presidency ofthe network revolves according to the presidency of the CBSS. I come from thecurrent presidency country, Estonia, and I am the chairman of the academicemployees organisation TALO.We have at least three main goals in BASTUN: 1.) We have seen it to be necessaryto systematically bring together the various professional interests in our countriesby serving the interests of our members in a better way. This task has becomemore important in regard to the enlargement of the European Union. 2.) We wantto enhance co-operation to carry out joint projects and to secure broadly-basedfinancing for these projects. From the middle of the 1990s, BASTUN has carried outvarious EU-projects on vocational education, legislation in working life, socialsecurity and employment policy. In addition to the substantial aims we have hadprocedural aims, we have improved tri-partite co-operation and we have improvedinteraction in the Baltic countries. 3.) By co-operation and joining forces we want toraise our profile in various arenas and bodies, particularly towards the CBSS.The parties in the labour markets are the experts in their own labour markets andtheir working life questions, so it is important that we are heard in connection withvarious joint projects in our field whether they have to do with the EU's NorthernDimension, co-operation between states or between parliaments. This conference isimportant not only in improving co-operation but also in terms of topics. I comefrom a very small population, I have seen that the free movement of workers isvery important, the ageing of the population and the reduction of people in theworking age is not the problem of one country alone it is the fate of the countries inall the Baltic Sea area.The population figures suggest that the population data in the Baltic Sea countrieswill in a few years, according to forecasts, start to resemble a mushroom. InFinland at the moment there is a so called golden age because there are relativelyfew children and old people and you can see that in all graphs. What we see in thecandidate countries compared to the 1990s, is that the birth rate in Estonia hasdeclined two times over. The demographic growth in the number of working peopleand the people that have to be supported should be forecasted and the effectsshould be analysed so that we can forecast the number of workers that can dodutiful jobs. But in fact we can't direct population processes.I think it is not quite like that. First of all there is the need to have a general surveyon the health of the population and the demographic situation so that we can getanswers to important questions for our state. How many healthy people are there76in the future and now? Who will be able to do the jobs necessary for our country?And how can we improve the working time of working people? We also have to takeinto account the willingness of ageing people to stay in their jobs if people don'tcontinue in working life, what will happen? For example the birth rate in the US isthe highest, it is lower in Japan and it is falling in the EU constantly. Where will thepeople come from? There are possibilities: the level of education, adding to skills,bringing various educational programs in different countries at various educationallevels.But there is the question here, are companies willing to use these types of skills?States use a lot of money for education but can we integrate the people intoworking life? In some areas there might be some oversupply experts in that sectorat that particular time. This should be the internal matter for every country thatthese people should not move to other countries for salaried work because the costof education will then be in vain. There will be the additional costs of socialbenefits.Technical and humanistic education should be balanced. People in those two sectorshelp to keep life in balance and support various sectors of working life. Universitiesalso often import experts on certain issues even if they can be found in the owncountry. We shouldn't undervalue various educational areas, we have to add skillsin the future and at least once in every five years all workers have to go toemployment education so that they maintain their skills. If this educational systemdoes not work we will have more and more unemployed people. Companies won'tbe able to use this pool of unusable workers.To solve this problem we can use the following system: we use up the skills wehave available at the moment, we use the free movement of workers and weimport the people we require. But where from? The free movement of workers inthe EU is a good thing as such but it could work in that way that all member statescould equally benefit from the redistribution of work. We can't rely on market forcesbeing able to reach that aim themselves and therefore we need measures to reachthat goal. In fact we need measures in the labour markets. The unions in the BSRwant to be actively involved in realising these goals.Therefore we are aiming to improve the functioning of the labour markets throughdialogue, to increase co-operation between the actors on the labour markets. Threeyears ago we already discussed free movement of workers in the Nordic countries,because many educated people went to other countries and we have a need of20.000 people a year. At the moment our birth rate is only 12.500 per year. Sowho are the winners and who are the losers?It is obvious that workers leave from countries with low salaries and low socialbenefits to other places with better conditions. The great differences in livingstandards lead to rapid movement of workers, the so called loss of brain capacity.It starts with the big loss of experts – which is a big disaster for every countrybecause they quickly adapt to the requirements of other countries. So we don'twant to risk the loss of our skilled people. Unions have to defend the rights and theinterests of their workers and we have to work to improve employment, to maintainjobs and create new job opportunities.77Our great interest is, that the availability of labour is qualitatively in line with theneeds of our area and the whole of Europe. Increasing skills is an area for co-operation of governments and the actors in the labour market, BASTUN identifiedthis need at the end of the 1990's and at the moment we have decided to increaseprojects improving education and skills. We need to have trust in each other, weneed to have co-operation with other countries, between other countries. This iswhere co-operation between professional organisations comes in. More peoplemove to other countries if there isn't any work available – I don't think so. If theeconomic situation and the level of wages isn't unbearable, if there aren't such bigdifferences in living standards then people will rather stay and develop their owneconomy and develop better social systems for themselves and future generations.Finally as a summary of all that I have said above on behalf of BASTUN and all theunions: universities should not be self-centred, they have their duty in solving theproblems of society, they shouldn't just concentrate on their academic task ofdisseminating knowledge. Secondly, scientific education has encouraged academicsto write high-quality specified articles and broad based research is not so much infocus any longer.In the shadow of globalisation we have the integration of economies which hasimproved peoples living standards. This is a question we have to solve. Theglobalisation of economies will lead the globalisation of cultures. We only have totake on board what is valuable because not all the things that are availablenecessarily are valuable. So again, who are the winners, who are the losers? In asituation of free movement of labour the winners are those countries who havegood conditions anyway, and the others have to get a grip with social and economicquestions. Therefore we need co-operation in the economic questions we needproper co-operation within science, social and educational questions. Participationin democracy must become part of social benefits which will encourage people toacquire better knowledge and improve their skills.DISCUSSIONTRIVIMI VELLISTEMy question to Mr Igor Unash is about the partner countries in migration fromRussia and into Russia. What are the most important countries for migration fromRussia and also if possible what are the countries from which most people try tomigrate into Russia?IGOR UNASHThe most citizens tend to want to go to states such as Germany, the USA, Canadaand a number of different European countries, the more developed ones. Butregarding immigration we tend to see people wanting to come and work and live inRussia from the former Soviet Republics, primarily from the Ukraine, Tadshikistan,Moldovia and recently with events in Turkmenistan, we see people from therewanting to come.But also our compatriots that live outside the country, about half of them want tocome back. And if we talk about temporary workers we could add those already78mentioned like Korea, Vietnam, China and we are seeing a regular flow fromAfghanistan, Pakistan, India but that tends to be transit sojourns, people come andlook around and don't think its necessary to stay in Russia and they then move towestern countries.OUTI OJALAI was interested in Mr. Krystowski's presentation. He mentioned that with theKnowledge Society there is a risk that a large part of the population will be leftoutside of this new development even though in the libraries and schools in all ofour countries there are more and more opportunities to use the Internet. I can tellyou for example that even small villages in Finland have been able to set upinformation centres where all sorts of age groups have been able to use theInternet and learn new technologies - but also to deal with the authorities throughthe Internet. I was just thinking if that could offer opportunities. You mentionedthat best practice is the aim, maybe you could give us some examples on that? Ithink it is important that the whole population, all citizens, independent of their ageand their opportunities have the possibility to use these sources of information.KRYSZTOF KRYSTOWSKII know about the very strong position Finland has in relation to establishing aknowledge-based society and it is important to understand the differences betweenour countries in this respect. For example the USA spent about 1000 USD percapita for research, compared with Poland which only spent 66 USD per capita forthe same purpose. Another example is though the fact that they have 30% ofcitizens with tertiary education and about 70% of people with secondary educationand in Poland we have only 15% with tertiary education, but even seven years agowe only had 7-8% with tertiary education so we are looking for some best practiceto use it in our countries. We know about the Finnish solutions and are looking at itbut I think it is important to know that the road for us as a former communisticcountry is very long to reach this goal, this high level of education.GIEDRĖ PURVANECKIENĖI wanted to mention that in Lithuania just recently the government launched aproject on EU funds which was able to set up 100 Internet points in thecountryside. This of course does not exceed the amount of people but we still hopeit will raise the IT literacy in the countryside.OLE STAVADI have a question to Igor Unash. You mentioned the problem of illegal immigrationwhich we in Denmark did not see before we opened borders and I want to askwhether you can see any other solution to these problems? Because looking aheadI can see it will become a problem for all our countries. I would also like to have acomment on what restrictions there are in Russia concerning immigration, what doyou do to uncover illegal immigration, what are the fines?79IGOR UNASHAt the moment we are trying to reform our legislation regarding illegal immigration.The criminal code is being re-adjusted towards combating that problem. We aretrying to strengthen our administrative bodies according to that, we have alreadychanged the legal code to protect the deportation of illegal immigrants and we arecarrying out immigration waves if you like, immigration inspections under theauspices of the Ministry of Home Affairs.We have got police allowed to conduct immigration control if necessary within theRussian Federation, if the immigration service sees it to be necessary, not only atthe borders but in the country itself. In particularly populated areas there issomething new, centres where we can control illegal workers, we can make controlsif we suspect that there is something there and we can return them to theircountries of origin.We are also seriously working on intensifying international contacts. We haveseminars with the Ministries of Home Affairs with the CIS countries, working on theissue of combating illegal immigration. And apart from everything else at themoment, in addition to the migration service we have, there are a number ofservices and they are not all under the Ministry of Home Affairs. We are increasingour co-operation with partners in issues such as trafficking in human beings,prostitution, slavery. We are trying to work together with all the Ministries of HomeAffairs on these issues to intensify this work. The representatives of all CIS areworking on this and we have come up with a concept, a programme if you like forcombating illegal immigration. We hope that this kind of programme will beimplemented by all the states.We are trying to set up a database of foreigners in Russia, this has never existedbefore in Russia and we hope that within a year we will have completed this so thatwe will have the possibility to exchange data on illegal immigration.BRIEF COMMENTSCHRISTOPH ZÖPELPolitical co-operation in the BSR remains necessary, this conference is proof of that.But I think it becomes particularly clear when we look at the issues we havetouched upon here. Migration is one of these, I think there is nothing socomplicated with respect to the growing together of societies as migration. Co-operation in the Baltic Sea states is generally something that we need to dobecause natural boundaries are not necessarily state borders. The integrationwithin the EU and the concept of a Wider Europe give us an opportunity to look atnatural borders being more important than politically founded borders. Whatremains necessary as well is to have parliamentarians working together. What ourcolleague, the Commissioner on Democratic Development, said was entirely right,and I support her. For developed democracies it remains crucial to think about therole of parliaments.Something I find hard to accept is that the position of the Commissioner has beendismantled by the CBSS and perhaps we parliamentarians should think about thefact that it is crucial for us to have such a Commissioner on Democratic80Development. This is my appeal to all the parliamentarians that we have to think ofa way of financing such a position.The states along the coasts have different degrees of population densities. Some ofthe countries that haven't got so many people require more co-operation. But alsocountries with higher population figures such as Russia and Germany need this. Itis important for Germany that representatives form the Länder parliaments arehere. I am saying this as a member of the Bundestag. I sometimes have to answerthe question why Bavaria should be interested in the Baltic Sea when the Alps areat the doorstep. It is of course absolutely understandable that the parliaments ofSchleswig-Holstein and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern are interested in the Baltic Seaand the actions that are taking place there. The same is true for Russia, Vladivostokis very far from the Baltic Sea, and this is why it is so important thatparliamentarians from Russia are here today.Another thing about Russia, something that we talked about today, the issue of thelabour market and migration. It was very interesting to hear that the Russiangovernment wants Russians to be able to work outside Russia and Mr. Roosimaawas talking about how there were declining labour market figures in WesternEurope. These two things should be compatible and yet it is extremely difficult tocombine migration, labour market migration in a way that there is not too muchresistance in the native population, so that it is socially acceptable.Regarding the Baltic Sea region I think particularly with respect to the labourmarket in information technology that we need to bear in mind that the World WideWeb of information requires hubs of information, global cities if you like, and if weask what a global city is in the region we have to say St. Petersburg, if we go bypopulation. And I think this is an extremely interesting point if we look at migrationin the Baltic Sea region which can only be accepted if there is an exchange betweenall of these states. And if there are people trained that come from different parts ofthe Baltic Sea region to St. Petersburg. If St. Petersburg can attract this kind of ITspecialists that Finland maybe needs.This is something we maybe need to talk about in the future: How can a regionallabour market work in itself and how can migration work with it and then, how canSt. Petersburg work as a global city? How can the governments and parliamentsaddress this issue? I would therefore like to appeal to my colleagues to reflectabout St. Petersburg because we have to secure a steady development of thisregion.SØREN VOIERecognition and transparency in education and training are keystones in therelations between labour markets. Willingness and openness to accept skills andqualifications acquired in other educational systems are essential. Skills andqualifications must be asserted and measured on a European basis.In Norway we have established a comprehensive strategy for lifelong learning. Thebasic education and continuing education are meant to compliment each other. Themain objective in this is the so called 'competence report', which is to help to readthe need for competence in society, at the work place and for individuals. Thetarget group for the report are workers and people who, for different reasons, are81outside of working life. The report is based on the broad concept of knowledgewhere theoretical and practical knowledge and the promotion of creativity, initiativeand social skills are all looked at. The report is based on co-operation betweenmany actors public authorities, social partners, educational institutions, public andprivate institutions and enterprises, which all have to make an active contribution.The documentation of the skills is an essential part of the competence report inNorway, it runs under the terms 'realkompetanse' and includes many aspects ofknowledge such as attitudes, abilities, insights. The competence report is anongoing process. As new challenges arise we hope to find new solutions. Ourpriority is to open the workplace for becoming a learning area for speakers ofminority languages. And we recognise the 'realkompetanse' for immigrants. Toenhance this we have a series of projects that aim at combining language trainingand work of immigrants.After this conference we are proposing a new act to the Storting giving immigrantsthe possibility to have their occupational skills tested and documented. This can beof great importance for a better integration of immigrants into the labour market.Research tells us that the workplace is the most important learning arena foradults. We need a more systematic approach to opening up the learning arena tomore persons and to assure quality for the learning process. I think the time hascome now for us to look at different tools for the system. The project of makingmore systematic use of the workplace as an area of learning for immigrantsrepresents such an approach.This concept could be used for other groups too, for example people with reading orwriting problems, senior citizens etc. I see no reason why the experiences we haveand the results we have achieved at the national level should not be useful at aninternational level. It is all about the same thing, to find some commondenominators in real life and try arrange these steps in line with such criteria. It isimportant to develop standards and systems and to implement them at the locallevel looking at the best solutions. Diversity might be a pre-requisite to quality initself.The main lessons to be learned from the implementation of the competence reportand 'realkompetanse' projects is that there must be the will to make priorities in acertain field and then to gain political support for implementing them. Concretemeasures must be decided and I believe that it is of utmost importance to putthese measures into reality before all the aspects are fully developed within acomplete framework. If we would wait for everything to be perfect we would neverget our act together. Somehow we must be willing to gamble and it is the challengeto policy makers as myself to dare to try.That is why confidence is so important. We need to trust in partners otherwise wecan not succeed. It is also necessary to monitor the processes constantly so that wecan detect mistakes and adjust directions. Actually reforming is very much like lifeitself. We can not have all at one time but we can try to optimise our possibilitiesaccording to our beliefs.MANFRED RITZEK82The speeches of this conference have been very interesting and I would just like tofocus on a few things. I think these speeches are not dogmatic, they are ideas thatwill stimulate further discussion in our countries. I appreciated the fact that Ms.Ehrling and Mr. Krystowski mentioned the societal components. I think that if wespeak about sustainability we should not only speak about economic growth andecological issues. We should also speak about progress in society. Investmentsmust have a mental basis.Mr Krystowski, you mentioned one problem, you gave a reason why the current EUcountries ought to be very prepared to migration. The birth rate does not promise asustainable living standard in the current EU countries and questions thepossibilities for maintaining our social systems. I am just wondering don't you havemore of a need to keep these high qualified workers in the new EU countries inorder to build up the living standards? Mr. Unash mentioned doing away with visasfor qualified workers. That is right.I wanted to mention the necessity of integration, Mr. Zöpel just did that. I thinkthat when we talk about qualified workers from other countries, new EU countriesand others, we must require language levels because we should not be left alonewith the integration problems. That must be dealt with beforehand and thelanguage is an essential key to integration. I think in all our countries we arediscussing these issues in more depth.Adoption of the ResolutionKENT OLSENThe Drafting Committee had two meetings on this resolution and we have gotseven different amendments from different directions and I think we have managedto take the amendments into account. I would like to thank you for your trust, forsharing this resolution.First, when the proposals came in we thought how can we take all these differentpositions into consideration? But I have to say that the work in the draftingcommittee has been very constructive, with lively, friendly and stimulatingdiscussions in the best parliamentarian spirit and the starting point always was thatwe should agree.Everybody was willing to find common solutions. The result of our work is that weall stand behind this document which clearly shows our countries the increasedefforts on the issues that have been discussed during this conference. This meanswhat we can do to create a Knowledge Society which can help us to grow.Movement across borders and what we can do to visit each other to develop traveland increased contacts. And finally, the protection of the very sensitiveenvironment of the Baltic Sea. And we can say that in the resolution there areproposals improving the living conditions around the Baltic Sea, concerning a safeenvironment, decreasing the risk of oil catastrophes which we are all lookingforward to. We have made a lot of progress and we have taken big steps towardsthe improvement of the environmental status of the Baltic Sea.83HEINZ-WERNER ARENSIt is astounding on how many points we agreed upon in this resolution and onepoint is that the 13th BSPC will take place in Bergen/Norway. We thank you for theinvitation!ANNEX IThe Baltic Sea region – an area of Knowledge and Maritime Safety in the Baltic Sea regionResolutionadopted by the 12th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference (BSPC),assembled in Oulu, Finland, 8-9 September 2003The participants of the Conferenceconcentrating on1. KNOWLEDGE-BASED SOCIETY in the Baltic Sea region as well as on its impact on theLABOUR MARKET,2. MARITIME SAFETY in the context of transport and environment in the Baltic Sea regionreferring to point 1taking note of- the globalisation and the rapid change of society from an industrial over a service-orientedtowards a knowledge-based society, founded on gender equality- the internationally recognised Information Society Index, indicating that no European Region isas well prepared for the knowledge-based society as Northern Europe- the OECD definition of lifelong learning, which embraces individual and social development ofall kinds and in all settings – formally, in schools, vocational, tertiary and adult educationinstitutions, and non-formally, at home, at work and in the community, focusing on the standardsof knowledge and skills needed by all, regardless of agecall on the CBSS and their governments to- use the great chance which a knowledge-based society and its corresponding network offersfor the region-building process in the Baltic Sea area, especially by creating an efficient andsecure IT infrastructure for the benefit of all citizens in the region- improve chances for the knowledge-based society by promoting language skills, includingnative languages, and the understanding of other nations cultures- promote the mutual recognition of diplomas and the creation of multi-institutional degrees inthe Baltic Sea region based on harmonized educational standards and programmes, thusestablishing the requirements for cross-border mobility of labour resources- increase physical mobility by means of establishing a special charter for the visiting scholarsand research fellows, including the vision of long-term goal of ultimate visa-free travel betweenRussia and the EU84- agree on a common strategy for the development of a knowledge-based society in the BalticSea region, implementing such a strategy by joint projects, joint educational programmes andjointly operated scientific networks, such as distance learning, distance teaching, Baltic Seasummer schools and virtual networks of Baltic Sea universities- make the Baltic Sea region a pilot area for the knowledge-based society implementationprocess, carrying out observation, characterisation and classification of the measures underreview, and setting up standards for future actions in Europe- consider the possibility of establishing a data base of job vacancies in the Baltic Sea region inorder to provide mutual exchange of labour force, and to use the existing data bases on jobvacancies and to develop them in a way which is useful for the Baltic labour market- organise, apart from studies and joint research projects, much deeper processes ofcommunication and learning, focusing on a series of activities in the field of culture andcitizenship- attach priority emphasis to a much more effective interrelationship between education,vocational training and employment- increase skills and lifelong learning in order to ensure employability, competitiveness andwelfare in the labour market and in the society in the Baltic Sea states- strengthen the social dialogue in the labour market, promoting access to the labour marketwith equal treatment for all, and developing conditions at working places- bear in mind that the Baltic Sea region can only flourish if there are well-functioning labourmarket structures and a qualified labour force- support technology transfer institutions in order to stimulate innovation mechanismsagree to- support the development of a network of schools of public health around the Baltic Sea, inorder to improve the societies' capacity to prevent and control serious threats to people's healthand with the aim of coordinating new technologies and training programmesreferring to point 2taking note of- a growing number of shipping accidents in the European region, which already have broughtabout devastating damage to the population, the environment and the economy and the greatdanger that the Baltic Sea can also be affected anytime by a similar ecological catastrophe- part II "Maritime Safety and Security" of the resolutions adopted by the participants of the 10thand 11th Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference in Greifswald (2001) and St. Petersburg (2002)and the ongoing process of its implementation- the results and approaches of the HELCOM/IMO/EU workshop held on 11th and 12th March2003 in Rostock-Warnemünde (Germany)- the decision, as well as the related resolutions, adopted at the 24th regular HELCOM Session,the HELCOM Ministerial Meeting, and the First Joint HELCOM/OSPAR Ministerial Meeting held85on 25-26 June 2003 in Bremen (Germany), as an important, though not yet sufficient Europeanstep on the way towards recognising maritime safety and security as an priority, and hence, asan important prerequisite for the protection of the marine environmentcall on the CBSS and their governments as well as on HELCOM to- step up their efforts in all relevant organizations, including the framework of IMO, to improvemaritime safety and security all over, especially by giving their full backing to:- the efforts towards designating the Baltic Sea as a Particularly Sensitive Sea Area (PSSA)within the IMO and introducing stricter rules for the prevention of pollution from ships- introducing on the international level within the framework of all appropriate institutions,including IMO, uniform rules to restrict access of substandard ships, and imposing a baneffective immediately prohibiting access of category-1 single-hull oil tankers, to Europeanwaters and ports- looking into the possibility for unified application of rules for the ice classification of ships andarrangement of icebreaker services during the winter period in the Baltic Sea area- supporting the European Commission in implementation of its proposals for improvingmaritime safety and security in accordance with the international law of the sea- establishing and identifying, as soon as possible, places of refuge and intensifying co-operation among Baltic Sea countries in order to implement the European Community's placesof refuge concept, and making additional efforts to quickly implement the procedure for directingdamaged ships to ports, and providing compensation for irrecoverable losses- a speedy ratification by the Baltic Sea states of the new IMO convention on increased liabilitylevels of the oil funds as agreed this year- giving priority to ratifying the conventions on civil liability for bunker oil pollution damage anddamage caused by dangerous goods, and to signing and ratifying a convention on the removalof wrecks- developing a "Baltic Sea Memorandum of Understanding" among the Baltic Sea countrieswhich will guarantee environmentally sound maritime transport in the entire Baltic Sea region byreducing emissions from shipping operations, in particular exhaust emissions in ports- work for the most efficient coastal patrol and airborne surveillance possible, and for theestablishment of special zones in dangerous areas of the Baltic Sea in which large sea-goingvessels (especially oil and chemical tankers) will not be allowed to sail without pilots- systematically supporting the ratification of important international conventions, so that asmany conventions as possible will be applied by the Baltic Sea countriesagree to- stress the importance of BSPC to be active in following the development of the Wider Europeinitiatives- call upon the Standing Committee to follow the assessment of the work of CBSS and tostrengthen the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference as the Parliamentary dimension of CBSS86- convey their particular thanks to the Parliament of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern for its significantcontribution in preparing this resolution- ask the Standing Committee, together with the BSPC observers in HELCOM, to pursue itsengagement in the issues related to maritime safety- thank all those involved in combating the consequences of the latest tanker accidentsaccept- with gratitude the invitation of the Norwegian Parliament Stortinget to hold the 13th Baltic SeaParliamentary Conference on 29 - 31 August 2004 in Bergen.87ANNEX IIList of ParticipantsSpeakers and chairpersonsArens, Heinz-Werner MP, Speaker of the Parliament of Schleswig-Holstein,GermanyUnash, Igor First Deputy Head of the Federal Migration Service,Ministry of Interior, RussiaBiondi, Alfredo Adrian – Ionian Initiative AII, Deputy Speaker of theHouse of Deputies, ItalyDegn, Helle CBSS Commissioner on Democratic DevelopmentEhrling, Marie President of the Profit Center TeliaSonera, SwedenEnestam, Jan-Erik Minister of Environment, FinlandHenningsen, Bernd Prof. Dr., NEKONKorotkov, Adrey First Deputy Minister of Communication andInformation Technologies, RussiaKhripel, Gennady MP, Council of Federation, RussiaKuncinas, Algirdas Chairman of the Development of Information SocietyCommittee, Parliament of LithuaniaLipponen, Paavo Speaker of the Parliament of FinlandLohikoski, Mikko Union of Baltic Sea Cities and NGO-ForumLønning, Inge President of the Nordic CouncilMatinpuro, Hanna International Co-ordinator, Finnish Association forNature ConservationMälly, Marko Baltic Sea Commission – Conference of PeripheralMaritime RegionsNenonen, Kari Mayor of OuluOjala, Outi MP, Chair of the BSPC Standing Committee, FinlandOjuland, Kristiina Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chair of the CBSS, EstoniaOlsson, Kent MP, SwedenOviir, Siiri Baltic Sea Women's ConferencePurvaneckienè, Giedré MP, Lithuania, Chairperson of the Baltic AssemblyRoosimaa, Toivo BASTUN, Baltic Sea Trade Union NetworkSalmin, Oleg Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Co-operation, PABSECErvelä, Risto BSSSC, Chairman of the Assembly of the RegionalCouncil of Southwest FinlandKrystowski, Krzysztof Vice-Minister, Ministry of Economy, Work and SocialPolicy, PolandVaidere, Inese Chair of the Baltic Marine Environment ProtectionCommission, HELCOM; Chair of the Foreign AffairsCommittee of the Parliament of the Republic of LatviaWeidemann, Sandra Baltic Sea Youth ForumParliamentary Delegations and OrganisationsBaltic AssemblyGolde, Silva MP, LatviaOviir, Siiri MP, EstoniaPietkevičs, Mihails, MP, LatviaPurvaneckienè, Giedré MP, Lithuania88Reirs, Jānis MP, LatviaSolovjovs, Igozs MP, LatviaTaimla, Andres, MP, EstoniaVelliste, Trivimi, MP, EstoniaZommere, Ērika MP, LatviaConference of Parliamentarians of the Arctic RegionJaakonsaari, Liisa MP, FinlandEuropean ParliamentThors, Astrid MP, FinlandFederal Assembly of the Russian FederationCouncil of FederationKhripel, Gennady MPState DumaPiskun , Nikolay MPPivnenko, Valentina MPNordic CouncilBjartmarz, Jónína MP, IcelandKristoffersen, Asmund MP, NorwayLønning, Inge MP, NorwayOjala, Outi MP, FinlandOlsson, Kent MP, SwedenSaarikangas, Martin MP, FinlandWegendal, Lars MP, SwedenParliamentary Assembly of the Council of EuropeAdam, Ulrich MP (represents also Parliament of the Federal Republicof Germany)Parliament of ÅlandErlandsson, Ragnar MPSjölund, Folke MPWiklöf, Lasse MPParliament of DenmarkHastorp Andersen, Sophie MPStavad, Ole MPParliament of FinlandAlho, Arja MPKerola, Inkeri MPHautala, Heidi MPHemming, Hanna-Leena MPKaikkonen, Antti MPLipponen, Paavo MP, SpeakerSasi, Kimmo MPTiusanen, Pentti MPParliament of the Federal Republic of GermanyAdam, Ulrich MP89Zöpel, Christoph MPParliament of the Free and Hanse City of BremenArnold-Cramer, Ursula MPGünthner, Martin MPOppermann, Karl-Uwe MPSchön, Silvia MPParliament of the Free and Hanse City of HamburgFrank, Günter MPHardenberg, Gerd MPHarlinghausen, Rolf MPMüller, Farid MPRümpf, Ekkehard MPStapelfeldt, Dorothee MPParliament of the Karelian RepublicJershov, Nikolai P. MPShegelman, Ilja R. MPParliament of LithuaniaKunčinas, Algirdas MPParliament of Mecklenburg-VorpommernBretschneider, Sylvia MPCaffier, Lorenz MPHolznagel, Renate MPJarchow, Hans-Heinrich MPSchwebs, Birgit MPGrzadko, Pawel Parliament of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern / Sczeczin CityYouth Council, PolandParliament of NorwayGaundal, Aud MPNistad, Thore A. MPTørresdal, Bjørg MPVoie, Søren Fredrik MPParliament of PolandCzaja, Gerard MPPiekarska, Katarzyna MPSieńko, Jan MPWalendziak, Wieslaw MPParliament of the City of St PetersburgYagya, Vatanyar MPParliament of Schleswig-HolsteinArens, Heinz-Werner MP, SpeakerKlug, Ekkehard MPRitzek, Manfred MPSpoorendonk, Anke MP90Parliament of SwedenBerg, Heli MPBohlin, Sinikka MPForslund, Kenneth G. MPObserversAdrian – Ionian Initiative AIIBiondi, Alfredo Italian Chamber of Deputies, Deputy Speaker of theHouse of DeputiesGazzetta, Peterenrico Italian Chamber of Deputies, Protocol OfficerSolia, Alberto Italian Chamber of Deputies, International Department OfficerBaltic Sea Commission CPMRMälly, MarkoBaltic Council of MinistersPuisyté, Lyra Baltic Council of Ministers MFA of Lithuania, Secretariatof BCMBaltic Sea Forum e.V.Steinfeld, Jens Managing DirectorBaltic Sea Youth ForumAlsuhail, FaizWeideman, Sandra SecretariatBaltic Sea States Sub-regional Cooperation BSSSCErvelä, Risto Chairman of the Assembly of the Regional Council ofSouthwest FinlandBaltic Sea Trade Union Network BASTUNRoosimaa, ToivoVaigur, KristjanBarents Parliamentary ForumFortygin, Vitaly The Arkhangelsk Regional Assembly of Deputies,ChairmanCBSS Commissioner on Democratic DevelopmentDegn, Helle H.ECouncil of Baltic Sea States CBSSHalinen, Hannu Director of the SecretariatNaber, Tiit Chairman of CSOEuropean CommissionRogeberg, Marianne Information Society Director-General91Finnish Association for Nature ConservationMatinpuro, Hanna International Co-ordinatorHelsinki Commission HELCOMVaidere, Inese ChairmanNorth-European Knowledge Network of Excellence NEKONHenningsen, Bernd Prof. DrNorth-West Parliamentary Association of RussiaSazhinow, Pavel ChairmanShmatkova, MarinaParliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Co-operation PABSECManoli, PanagiotaSalmin, OlegState Legislative Leaders ́ FoundationSchoeps, AlfonsSt. Petersburg Social and Economic InstituteKalinina, Elena DirectorTeliaSoneraEhrling, Marie President of Profit CentreUnion of Baltic Sea CitiesLohikoski, MikkoInvited GuestsCentral Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions, SAKBergman, Turo Secretary for International AffairsCity of OuluYypänaho, Jorma Chairman of the City CouncilPikkarainen, Matti Chairman of the City Executive CouncilNenonen, Kari MayorPennananen, Matti Deputy MayorHiironniemi, Silja Deputy MayorFinnish Commission for Local Authority Employers, KTTast, Marja Confederation of Unions for Academic Professionals inFinland, AKAVALemmetty, Markku Confederation of Finnish Industry and Employers, TTHemilä, Kalevi Chief Executive OfficerCorps DiplomatiquesLonardo, Pietro Ambassador, Embassy of Italy in FinlandAnisimov, Leonid Counsellor, Embassy of Russia in FinlandJankowski, Adrzej Counsellor, Embassy of Poland in Finland92Finnish Federation of Salaried Employees, STTKNikula, PirkkoMinistry for Communications and Information of the Russian FederationFontanov, Yuri Deputy Director GeneralMinistry of Foreign Affairs, FinlandKrokfors , Karl Johan Chief of the Nordic SecretariatNordic Teacher's CouncilLillemor , DarinderParliament of Baden-WürttembergStaub, Peter MP, SpeakerSopper, Helmut Chief of ProtocolSecretariatsBaltic AssemblyJankauskaite, Renata Secretary of the Lithuanian Delegation to the BALaizāne-Jurkāne, Marika Project Manager of the BAMolnika, Baiba Secretary of the BAPutnina, Ingrida Secretary of the Latvian Delegation to the BARöngelep, Ene Secretary of the Estonian Delegation to the BABSPCLindroos, Päivikki Senior AdvisorFredriksson, Kristina SecretaryEuropean ParliamentRamstedt, StenFederal Assembly of the Russian FederationCouncil of FederationDakhova, NadezdaState DumaZaitseva, ArinaNordic CouncilNokken, Frida DirectorAngell, ChristianHagemann, HenrikNikolajsen, MadsNytoft Rasmussen, JensSmekal, EvaStenarv, GunnarSørensen, TorkilWidberg, JanZilliacus, Patrick93Parliament of ÅlandHolm-Johansson, MarineNordic Council of MinistersPeltonen, CaritaParliament of FinlandTiitinen, Seppo Secretary GeneralAhvenainen, MarjoEnckell, LiisaEriksson, MagnusHissa, JaakkoHuurinainen, KatarineKuusinen, KatriinaLindström, GuyPekkola, TapioSalo, KariParliament of the Federal Republic of GermanyMeier, SilkeParliament of the Free and Hanse City of BremenKrause, Walter Higher Executive OfficerParliament of the Free and Hanse City of HamburgWagner, Reinhard DirectorParliament of Mecklenburg-VorpommernBahr, BodoGutzeit, GeraldParliament of NorwayAndreassen, Bjørn Delegation SecretaryMyhre-Jensen, Kjell Head of the SecretariatSlåke, Øyvind Political AdvisorParliament of PolandJanuszewski, Andrzej Chancellery of the Senate of the Republic of PolandParliament of the City of St PetersburgTerekhovsky, Sergey Chief of the Department of External RelationsParliament of Schleswig-HolsteinSchöning, Jürgen DirectorSchmidt-Holländer, JuttaParliament of SwedenHjelm, Eva94InterpretersConcilio, Maria SerenaFleischhacker, KarinJohnson, CatherineKopteva, IrinaPerkhofe, ElfriedeRepin, AlekseiTalvitie, JussiLarsen, SteinLightfoot, AndrewSummala, LiisaTolonen, TarjaVirtanen, HansRapporteur (Editor of Summary Report)Williams, Leena-Kaarina95